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LIBRARY 

OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

G-IKT  OF" 


Received  r^  o/r  1 007  «  l&9 

Accession  No.  &4L&&3.       Cla&s  No. 


THE 


SUN  WORSHIPERS 


OF 


ASIA. 


BV 

CHARLES    D.     POSTON. 


Reprinted  for  the   Author  from  the   London   Edition. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  : 
A.  KOMAN  &  Co.,  PUBLISHERS. 

1877. 


Copyright   1877 
By  A.   ROMAN  &  Co 

I 


Tie 


Cpp':2. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  materials  for  the  preparation  of  the  fol- 
lowing Lecture  were  collected  during  an  official 
visit  to  India,  China,  Japan,  etc.,  accredited  by 
the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

Personal  intercourse  with  the  Parsees,  partic- 
ularly in  India,  excited  a  lively  interest  in  the 
religion  and  history  of  the  followers  of  the 
ancient  Zoroaster. 

In  submitting  these  crude  observations,  made 
upon  a  subject  far  beyond  my  capacity,  the 
concluding  paragraph  of  a  circular  letter  issued 
by  His  Excellency,  the  late  Earl  of  Mayo,  Vice- 
roy and  Governor-General  of  India,  recom- 
mending the  writer  and  his  secretary,  Colonel 
Grant,  is  appended  as  a  grateful  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  that  eminent  representative  of  Her 
Majesty's  Government  in  India. 


INTRODUCTION. 

"  It  is  the  particular  desire  of  His  Excel- 
"  lency,  the  Viceroy  and  Governor-General  in 
"  Council,  that  all  respect  and  honor  be  shown 
"  to  these  gentlemen  who  are  on  the  eve  of 
"  starting  for  Upper  India,  and  that  every  fa- 
"  cility  be  afforded  them  in  their  inquiries  at 
"  any  stations  or  places  where  they  may  stop. 

"  His  Excellency  in  Council  will  rely  upon 
"  everything  being  done  to  show  to  these  repre- 
"  sentatives  of  a  great  and  friendly  power  the 
"  high  estimation  in  which  it  is  held  by  the 
"  British  Government  in  the  East." 


DrVXVEHSXTr 


THE   PARSEES, 


THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS. 

In  the  crowded  cities  of  Asia  the  soul  be- 
comes surfeited  by  contact  with  myriads  of 
human  beings  and  longs  for  companionship  with 
nature. 

If  you  wander  to  the  beach  at  sunset  to  in- 
hale the  breezes  from  the  Spice  Islands,  you 
will  there  observe  a  congregation  of  the  most 
interesting  people  in  Asia. 

They  are  the  Parsees,  or  sun-worshipers  of 
Persia,  the  followers  of  the  ancient  Zoroaster, 
the  teacher  of  the  religion  of  the  Magi. 

As  we  stand  upon  the  shore,  and  witness  the 
adoration  paid  to  the  sun  by  this  mysterious 
remnant  of  a  nearly  extinct  race,  we  are  carried 
back  to  the  dawn  —  aye,  to  the  darkness,  for 


6  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

but  little  light  can  *be  gathered  from  the  faint 
glimmerings  of  history. 

The  Ma^i  first  appeared  in  Jerusalem  as  a 
part  of  the  retinue  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  from 
which  it  may  be  inferred  that  they  were  the 
chief  priests  at  the  Babylonian  Court. 

Their  religious  doctrines  are  compiled  in  a 
sacred  volume  called  the  Zend-Avesta,  of  which 
Zoroaster  is  the  reputed  author,  claiming  to 
have  written  it  under  the  direct  inspiration  of 
God. 

THE     "  ZEND-AVESTA." 

He  does  not  presume  to  say  that  the  Creator 
of  the  Universe  condescended  to  appear  before 
him,  but  that  he  learnt  His  will  "from  the 
"choir  of  arch-angels,  who  sang  to  his  mental 
"ears  when  in  a  state  of  ecstacy;  his  mind 
"was  raised  to  heaven." 

The  Zend-Avesta  does  not  attempt  to  give  any 
account  of  the  creation. 

The  idea  pervading  the  Parsee  theology  from 
the  first  is,  that  "eternity,"  or  "boundless  time," 


OF    ASIA.  7 

has  neither  beginning  nor  end,  and  is  the  only 
thing  that  can  neither  be  created  nor  destroyed, 
but  is  that  which  creates  and  destroys  every- 
thing else ;  therefore,  time  is  considered  as  the 
great  first  cause  or  creator. 

They  believe  that  originally  there  were  two 
spirits, —  good  and  evil, —  typified  by  light  and 
darkness,  each  of  peculiar  activity. 

That  Oromasdez  (Almighty),  the  Good  Spirit, 
was  evolved  from  the  purest  light,  and  is  in 
all  his  attributes  what  we  call  God,  and  resides 
as  far  beyond  the  sun  as  the  sun  is  distant 
from  the  earth. 

That  Ariemanios,  the  bad  spirit,  correspond- 
ing to  our  Devil,  was  evolved  from  the  blackest 
darkness,  is  the  embodiment  of  evil,  and  resides 
in  Hades. 

That  these  two  spirits  are  now,  and  always 
have  been,  engaged  in  antagonistic  strife,  and 
will  be  at  war  until  light  prevails. 

Oromasdez  ( Almighty ),  the  God  of  light, 
created  six  other  gods  or  archangels,  whose 
attributes  are  — 


5  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

Benevolence.'  Truth.  Order. 

Wisdom.  Beauty.  Wealth. 

Ariemanios,  the  god  of  darkness,  created  six 
gods  or  devils  of  precisely  opposite  attributes, 
to  counteract  them. 

They  created  many  other  gods,  and  waged 
war  against  each  other,  —  the  sentiment  under- 
lying the  whole  fabric  of  the  Parsee  doctrine 
being,  that  human  life  is  an  eternal  struggle 
between  right  and  wrong,  in  which  the  good 
and  evil  spirits  assist  and  assail  mankind. 

Dualism  pervades  the  entire  structure.     There 

are   two   lives,    mental   and    physical ;    there  are 

• 
two   intellects,  one   from  the    source -of  light,  or 

the  original  vital  spark ;  the  qther  of  the  earth, 
or  that  which  is  acquired. 

In  this  eternal  strife  the  starry  firmament  was 
arrayed  under  the  leadership  of  the  sun. 

Twelve  companies  were  organized  under  the 
heads  of  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac,  ranged 
in  four  great  divisions,  North,  South,  East,  and 
West.  Mars  was  placed  over  the  North  ;  Mer- 


OF 


cury  was  placed  over  the  South ;  Jupiter  was 
placed  over  the  East ;  Saturn  was  placed  over 
the  West.  Venus  commanded  the  centre. 
Oromasdez  now  continued  the  creation  of  the 
material  world,  making  a  bridge  from  the  top 
of  the  highest  mountain  to  the  source  of  light, 
suspended  over  a  chasm  of  unfathomable  dark- 
ness. 

This  bridge  is  called  "Chinvat,"  or  the  Bridge 
of  the  Judge,  and  is  under  the  guardianship 
of  Sirius. 

In  the  meantime  the  spirit  of  darkness  had 
not  been  idle.  For  every  good  being  created 
by  Oromasdez,  he  had  created  a  corresponding 
evil  spirit. 

The  two  hosts  now  confronted  each  other  in 
eternal  strife. 

Ariemanios  sprang  forward  to  the  attack,  fol- 
lowed by  the  hosts  of  darkness ;  but,  after  a 
terrible  conflict,  was  defeated,  and  fell  back  to 
earth  in  the  form  of  a  serpent  —  that  same  old 

N 

serpent. 

Oromasdez,  thus   having   vanquished  the  spirit 


10  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

of  darkness,  proceeded  with  the  creation  of  the 
material  world,  and  made  a  man  and  a  woman 
to  inhabit  the  earth. 

The  serpent  tempted  them  and  they  drank  of 
the  milk  of  goats,  which  caused  libidinous  de- 
sires and  final  shame. 

The  human  race,  which  thus  became  miser- 
able by  the  sin  of  its  first  parents,  was  left 
standing  between  the  two  worlds  of  light  and 
darkness,  between  the  two  spirits  of  good  and 
evil,  dependent  upon  its  own  free  will. 

As  the  creatures  of  the  spirit  of  light,  they 
ought  to  worship  Oromasdez ;  but  they  are 
continually  surrounded  by  the  spirits  of  dark- 
ness, and  seduced  to  the  worship  of  the  spirit 
of  evil. 

In  this  dilemma  the  God  of  Light  sends  them 
Zoroaster  with  a  revelation  of  His  will,  which 
to  obey  will  lead  them  to  the  mansions  of 
light  and  to  eternal  happiness.  . 

ZOROASTER.  ' 

The  earliest  authorities  we  have  upon  the  age 
of  Zoroaster  are  the  Greek  writers. 


OF    ASIA.  II 

All  the  Greek  authors  who  wrote  on  the 
religion  of  the  Magi,  anterior  to  the  Christian 
era,  state  that  Zoroaster  lived  6,000  years,  B.C. 
According  to  ancient  writers,  the  founder  of  the 
religion  of  the  Magi  lived  not  only  before 
Moses,  but  even  before  Abraham. 

Herodotus,  the   father   of  history,  says  : — 

"  I  know  that  the  Persians  observe  these 
"customs.  It  is  not  customary  among  them 
"to  have  idols  made,  temples  built,  and  altars 
"  erected ;  they  even  upbraid  those  with  folly 
"who  do  so.  They  are  accustomed  to  bring 
"  sacrifices  to  Zeus  on  the  summits  of  moun- 
"  tains.  They  sacrifice  to  the  sun,  moon,  earth, 
"  fire,  winds,  and  waters ;  these  elements  being 
"originally  the  only  objects  of  worship." 

Aristotle  states  that  "  Zoroaster  lived  about 
"6,000  years  before  the  death  of  Plato,  which 
"would  make  it  about  6350  years  B.C." 

Pliny  reports,  upon  the  authority  of  Her- 
mippos,  a  Greek  philosopher,  "that  he  lived 
"  several  thousand  years  before  Moses,  and  that 
"  he  composed  two  millions  of  verses,  which 


12  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS. 

"  were  written  upon  twelve  thousand  parchments, 
"and  preserved  in  a  vault  cut  out  of  the  solid 
"rock  in  the  temple  of  Persepolis." 

Marcellus,  a   Latin   writer   states  : — 

"That  the  Bactrian  Zoroaster  in  remote  ages 
"made  many  additions  to  the  religion  of  the 
"  Magi,  which  additions  were  derived  from  the 
"  mysteries  of  the  Chaldeans." 

Apuleius  states  that  "  Pythagoras  was  taken 
"  prisoner  by  Cambyses,  and  carried  with  other 
"prisoners  to  Babylon,  where,  in  his  intercourse 
"  with  the  Magi,  he  was  instructed  by  the 
"priests  in  the  Zoroastrian  religion." 

Strabo,    the   geographer,    says : — 

"To  whatever  deity  the  Persians  make  sac- 
"rifice,  they  first  invoke  fire,  which  is  fed  at 
"their  sacred  places  with  dry  pieces  of  bark- 
"less  wood,  which  is  never  to  be  extinguished." 

Agathias   says : — 

"The  present  Persians  almost  entirely  neglect 
"their  former  customs,  and  observe  the  doctrine 
"of  Zoroaster,  the  son  of  Oromasdez." 

"  The    time     when    this    Zoroaster    flourished 


OF   ASIA.  13 

"and  gave  his  laws  to  the  Medes  and  Persians 
"  is  not  to  be  ascertained.  'At  whatever  time 
"  it  may  have  been,  he  was  at  all  events  their 
"prophet  and  the  master  of  the  magic  rites." 

Damascius,  a  Grecian  writer,  says  : — "  Of  the 
"Magi  and  Aryan  nation  some  consider  space 
"and  others  time,  as  the  universal  cause  out 
"  of  which  the  good  God,  as  well  as  the  Evil 
"  Spirit,  were  separated,  while  others  assert,  that 
"light  and  darkness,  existed  before  these  two 
"spirits  arose." 

Agonakes,  a    Magian   priest,   who  was   teacher 

of  Hermippos,  states  that  "  Zoroaster  lived  5,000 

•« 

"years  before  the  Trojan  war,  which  would 
"carry  us  back  to  6180  B.  c." 

Rollin  says: — "As  the  Magi  held  images  in 
"utter  abhorrence,  they  worshipped  God  only 
"under  the  form  of  fire,  on  account  of  its 
"purity,  brightness,  activity,  subtlety,  fecundity, 
"and  incorruptibility,  as  the  most  perfect  sym- 
"bol  of  the  Deity." 

The  "  Dabistan,"  a  book  professedly  compiled 
from  the  works  of  the  ancient  "  Guebers,"  or 


14  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

"  fire  worshipers,"  states  that  the  Persians,  long 
before  the  mission  of  Zoroaster,  venerated  a 
prophet  called  Mahabad,  whom  they  considered 
the  father  of  mankind ;  but  that  the  ancient 
Persians  deemed  it  impossible  to  ascertain  who 
were  the  first  parents  of  the  human  race. 

In  any  event,  without  contesting  the  uncer- 
tain chronological  calculations  which  have  been 
handed  down  to  us  through  many  changes,  we 
must  admit  that  Zoroaster  lived  at  a  very  re~ 
mote  period,  and  that  he  was  the  founder  of 
a  pure  and  sublime  religion  based  upon  the 
eternal  principles  of  right  and  wrong,  good  and 
evil,  light  and  darkness,  and  that  he  was  far 
in  advance  of  any  teacher  of  which  human 
annals  have  preserved  a  record. 

The  religion  of  Zoroaster  may  be  stated  in 
three  words  : — 

"  Homute,"  purity   of  thought. 
"  Hookte,"  purity  of  speech. 
"  Viruste,"  purity  of  action. 

Before    Moses    proclaimed   the    bloody    code 


OF    ASIA.  15 

delivered  to  him  amidst  the  thunders  of  Mount 
Sinai  for  the  government  of  the  wandering  Israel- 
ites, the  great  Zoroaster  had  promulgated  the 
sublime  laws  announced  to  him  by  the  "  Bright 
shining  essence  of  light "  for  the  government 
of  mankind. 

He  says  to  his  disciples  : — "  I  will  now  tell 
"you,  who  are  assembled  here,  the  wise  sayings 
"  of  the  most  wise ;  the  praises  of  the  living 
"  God ;  the  songs  of  the  Good  Spirit ;  the 
"sublime  truth  which  I  'see  arising  out  of  these, 
"sacred  flames. 

"  In  the  beginning  were  two  spirits,  each  of 
"peculiar  activity — good  and  evil.  Of  these 
"  two  spirits  you  must  choose  one ;  you  cannot 
"  belong  to  both  of  them. 

"  Therefore  perform  the  commandments  which, 
"  pronounced  by  God  Himself,  have  been  given 
"to  mankind.  They  are  the  fountain  of  hap- 
"  piness. 

"The  souls  of  the  good  go  joyfully  to  the 
"immortal  saints,  to  the  golden  throne,  to  para- 
"  dise. 


1 6  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

"The   good   man    is   made  pure  after  death." 

Centuries  before  Plato  reasoned  of  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul,  the  great  Zoroaster  had  drawn 
the  celestial  fire  from  the  sun,  and  worshiped 
it  as  the  emblem  of  immortality. 

Long  before  the  Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees 
had  desecrated  the  holy  city  of  the  Jews  with 
their  disputes  about  the  resurrection  of  the  body, 
the  Magi  believed  according  to  the  text — 

"That  life  would  be  everlasting,  undecaying, 
"imperishable,  imputrescible,  incorruptible,  for- 
"  ever-existing,  for-ever-vigorous,  full  of  power  at 
"the  time  when  the  dead  will  arise  again,  and 
"  imperishableness  of  life  will  exist,  making  life 
"lasting  without  further  support. 

"  The  good  man  is  to  be  made  pure  after 
"death,  and  shall  enjoy  the  happy  life  of  the 
"blessed  in  the  land  of  light  and  splendor. 

"All  the  world  will  remain  for  eternity  in  a 
"state  of  purity;  the  devil  will  disappear,  and 
"all  his  brood  and  creatures  will  be  doomed 
"to  destruction." 

Ages   before   the   Testament  was  given,  which 


OF    ASIA.  17 

caused  Saint  Paul  to  reason  of  "  temperance, 
righteousness,  and  a  judgment  to  come/'  Zo- 
roaster had  declared  as  a  revelation  from  God — 

"  That  when  a  man  is  dead,  when  a  man 
"  has  departed  this  life,  then  after  the  third 
"  night,  when  Aurora  is  shining,  he  reaches 
"  Mithra  the  Redeemer,  rising  above  the  moun- 
"  tains  resplendent  of  their  own  spotless  lustre. 

"  The  archangel  meets  the  souls  of  the  good 
"  when  crossing  the  celestial  mountain,  and  guides 
"  them  over  the  bridge  of  the  heavenly  spirits. 

"  The  archangel  speaks  thus  to  the  soul, 
" '  How  happy  that  you  have  come  here  to  us 
"'from  mortality  to  immortality.' 

"  He  dismisses  the  sinful  soul  of  the  bad 
"into  darkness." 

The  spiritual  life  of  the  Jews  was  not  mani- 
fested until  after  the  Babylonian  captivity. 

They  brought  their  bodies  from  the  Nile,  but 
their  souls  from  the  Euphrates. 

The  very  prophecy  of  the  coming  of  the  Mes- 
siah had  the  same  origin  as  the  star  which 
heralded  His  birth. 


1 8  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

The  spirit  of  Christianity,  inspired  from  the 
East,  was  cradled  upon  the  shores  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, and  now  spreads  over  all  seas  and 
all  lands. 

In  a  sacred  song  of  the  Parsees,  the  purport 
is,  that  though  it  may  not  appear  to  short-sighted 
mortals  how  the  body,  if  once  dissolved  into 
its  elements  and  scattered  to  the  winds,  could 
be  restored  again,  yet  nothing  is  impossible 
for  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  who  created 
heaven  and  earth,  endows  with  life  and  renews 
vegetation. 

The  Parsees  also  believe  in  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah  or  prophet,  a  son  of  Zoroaster,  to  be 
begotten  in  a  supernatural  way,  who  is  to  pro- 
claim an  additional  revelation  of  the  will  of 
God,  which  will  perfect  human  nature,  and  pro- 
duce a  new  era  of  perfect  happiness  in  the 
world. 

The  doctrine  taught  by  the  Magi  was  that 
all  life,  chiefly  that  of  man,  bodily  as  well  as 
spiritual,  was  a  sacred  pawn  entrusted  by  the 
Creator  to  man  for  his  advancement ;  that  it 


OF    ASIA.  19 

was  his  duty  to  keep  the  body  clean  and  pure, 
and  the  soul  free  from  sin. 

If  death  destroys  the  body  in  its  natural 
course,  it  is  not  the  fault  of  man,  who  must 
submit  to  inexorable  fate  ;  but  it  is  considered 
the  duty  of  God,  who  is  the  preserver  of  all 
life,  to  restore  that  which  has  fallen  a  prey  to 
mortal  death,  and  to  overcome  mortality  by 
making  life  everlasting  in  the  bright  world. 

Thus  is  foreshadowed  the  grand  act  of  resur- 
rection. 

CATECHISM. 

A  Catechism  of  the  Parsee  faith  has  been 
attached  to  the  Zend-Avesta  for  the  instruction 
of  children,  which  gives  a  primitive  account  of 
the  Zoroastrian  doctrines,  from  which  a  few 
extracts  may  not  prove  uninteresting : — 

QUES.     Whom   do   we   believe   in? 

ANS.  The  God  who  created  the  heavens,  the 
earth,  the  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  the  angels, 
the  four  elements,  and  all  things  ;  that  God  we 
believe  in,  Him  we  worship,  Him  we  invoke. 
Him  we  adore. 


Of  X 


20  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

QUES.     Do   you   believe    in    any   other  God  ? 

ANS.  No.  Who  believes  in  any  other  God  is 
an  infidel,  and  shall  suffer  the  punishment  of  hell. 

QUES.     What  is   the   form    of  our   God? 

ANS.  Our  God  has  neither  face  nor  form, 
color  nor  shape,  nor  fixed  place.  There  is 
no  other  like  Him  ;  He  is  Himself  singly,  such 
a  glory  that  we  cannot  praise  nor  describe  Him, 
nor  can  our  mind  comprehend  Him. 

QUES.  Is  there  anything  that  God  cannot 
create  ? 

ANS.  Yes,  he  cannot  create  another  like 
himself. 

QUES.     What   is   our   religion  ? 

ANS.     Our   religion   is    the   worship    of  God. 

QUES.     Whence  did  we  receive  our  religion  ? 

ANS.  From  Zoroaster,  the  true  prophet,  who 
brought  it  directly  from  God. 

QUES.  Where  should  we  turn  when  worship- 
ing God  ? 

ANS.  We  should  turn  towards  some  of  his 
creatures  of  light,  of  glory,  and  of  brightness. 

QUES.     Which    are   those    things  ? 


OF    ASIA.  21 

ANS.  The  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  fire, 
water,  and  such  things  as  have  a  spark  of  His 
glory. 

QUES.  What  commands  has  God  sent  us 
through  the  exalted  Zoroaster? 

ANS.  To  know  God  as  One ;  to  know  His 
prophet  Zoroaster ;  to  believe  in  the  Avesta ; 
to  believe  in  the  goodness  of  God ;  to  obey 
His  commands ;  to  avoid  evil  deeds ;  to  exert 
for  good  deeds ;  to  pray  five  times  a  day ;  to 
believe  in  the  reckoning  of  justice  the  third 
day  after  death ;  to  hope  for  heaven,  and  to 
fear  hell ;  to  believe  in  a  day  of  general  res- 
urrection and  destruction  ;  to  submit  to  the  will 
of  God. 

QUES.  If  we  commit  any  sin,  will  our  prophet 
save  us  ? 

ANS.  Never  commit  any  sin  under  that  faith, 
because  our  prophet — our  guide  to  the  right 
path — has  distinctly  commanded,  "  You  shall 
receive  according  to  what  you  do."  Your  deeds 
will  determine  your  return  into  the  other  world. 
If  you  do  virtuous  and  pious  actions,  your 


22  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

reward  shall  be  heaven.  If  you  sin,  and  do 
wicked  things,  you  shall  be  punished  in  hell. 

If  you  repent  your  sins  and  reform,  and  if 
the  Great  Judge  consider  you  worthy  of  par- 
don, He  will  be  merciful  to  you, — He  will 
save  you. 

QUES.  What  are  those  things  by  which  a 
man  is  blessed  and  benefited  ? 

ANS.  To  do  virtuous  deeds ;  to  give  in  char- 
ity, to  be  kind,  to  be  humble,  to  speak  sweet 
words,  to  wish  good  to  others,  to  have  a  clean 
heart,  to  acquire  learning,  to  speak  the  truth, 
to  suppress  anger,  to  be  patient,  to  be  con- 
tented, to  be  friendly,  to  feel  shame,  to  pay 
due  respect  to  both  old  and  young,  to  be 
pious,  to  respect  our  parents  and  teachers. 

All  these  things  are  the  friends  of  good  men, 
and  the  enemies  of  bad  men. 

QUES.  What  are  those  things  by  which  a 
man  is  lost  and  degraded  ? 

ANS.  To  tell  untruths,  to  steal,  to  gamble, 
to  look  with  wicked  eye  upon  a  woman,  to 
commit  treachery,  to  abuse,  to  be  angry,  to 


OF    ASIA.  23 

wish  ill  to  another,  to  be  proud,  to  mock,  to 
be  idle,  to  slander,  to  be  avaricious,  to  be  dis- 
respectful, to  be  shameless,  to  be  hot-tempered, 
to  take  another's  property,  to  be  revengeful, 
to  be  unclean,  to  be  obstinate,  to  be  envious, 
to  do  harm  to  any  man,  to  be  superstitious, 
to  do  any  other  wicked  and  iniquitous  action. 
These  are  all  the  friends  of  the  wicked,  and 
the  enemies  of  the  righteous. 

PRAYER. 

The  Parsees  believe  in  the  efficacy  of  prayer, 
and  spend  much  time  in  devotion. 

,An  impression  of  their  religious  sentiments 
can  be  gathered  from  the  forms  of  prayer  in 
use,  such  as  the  following : — 

"  Oromasdez,  great  Judge,  full  of  glory  and 
"  brightness,  the  highest,  the  greatest,  the  best, 
"  the  purest  —  Invisible  —  I  worship  Thee,  I 
"  invoke  Thee,  I  adore  Thee. 

"  By   my   deeds    I    honor   and    exalt   Thee. 

"  Creator   of  my  soul. 

"  Moulder   of  my  body,    may    I    reach    Thee. 


24  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

"  O  great  and  wise  Lord,  the  reward  that  is 
"  due  to  the  religious  may  I  and  mine  receive. 
"  That  reward  mayest  Thou  give  from  the  stores 
"  of  Thy  bounty  in  such  a  way  in  this  and  the 
"  spiritual  world,  that  I  may  be  exalted  and 
"  may  live  for  ever  and  ever  under  Thy  holy 
"  leadership  and  virtuous  protection. 

"If  I  have  by  thought,  word  or  deed  inten- 
'"  tionally  or  unintentionally  not  kept  Thy  com- 
"  mands,  and  thereby  saddened  Thee,  I  invoke 
"  Thee,  I  pray  Thee,  I  beseech  Thee,  for  pardon. 

"  May  all  men  and  women  in  the  world 
"  beco*me  Thy  followers. — May  sinners  become 
"  virtuous. 

"  May  the  virtue  of  the  virtuous  endure,  and 
"  may  wickedness  vanish. 

•'  I  am  of  the  religion  of  the  worship  of 
"  God. 

"  I  praise  that  religion,  and  declare  it  before 
"  the  wicked,  and  profess  it  with  good  con- 
"  science,  with  virtuous  words,  and  virtuous 
"  deeds. 

"  Whoever    accepts    this    religion,    praises    it, 


OF    ASIA.  25 

"  meditates"  upon  it,  and  practices  it,  God  will 
"  be  a  friend  a  brother,  and  a  father,  and  will 
"  pass  him  over  the  bridge  of  Chinvat,  on  the 
"  third  morning  after  death,  to  the  celestial 
"  world 

"  I  invoke  the  success  and  benefit  of  prayer 
"  — a  virtuous  conscience,  good  deeds,  good 
"  words. 

"  I  love  prayer,  for  it  is  a  joy  to  me  ;  O 
"  Oromasdez,  I  worship  Thee  on  earth,  and  in 
"  heaven  I  will  worship  Thee  much ! " 

OTHER     RELIGIONS 

In  the  cycle  of  time  the  faithful  worshipers 
of  the  sun  have  witnessed  the  rise  and  reign 
of  Buddha,  and  have  seen  his  ashes  scattered 
from  the  seven-storied  pagoda  of  his  typical 
heaven,  without  wavering  in  their  devotion  to 
the  God  of  Light. 

They  have  seen  Brahma  rise  and  grow  mighty, 
and  thunder  over  the  plains  of  Asia  in  his  car 
of  Juggernaut,  and  have  witnessed  his  calcined 
remains  swept  by  the  sacred  Ganges  into  the 


26  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

%  sea ;  and  yet  they  scorned  the  idolatries  of 
Hindustan,  and  worshipped  the  God  of  light 
and  life. 

Their  wandering  traders  carried  the  perfumes 
of  the  East  to  embalm  the  Egyptian  kings 
before  Abraham  visited  the  pyramids ;  but  they 
were  not  seduced  by  the  idolatries  of  the 
Egyptians,  and  turned  from  the  worship  of  Isis 
and  Osiris  to  prostrate  themselves  before  the 
embodiment  of  all  goodness — the  source  of  light, 
of  life,  of  happiness. 

They  discard  the  doctrines  of  Confucius  as 
the  material  philosophy  of  a  man  who  did  not 
know  God  ;  and  turn  from  the  inanimate  creed 
of  the  Chinese  sage  to  worship  the  God  of 
light,  or  life,  of  generation,  of  vegetation. 

They  have  read  the  essays  of  the  grave  Lao- 
tsze,  teaching  the  religion  of  reason,  and  pro- 
claiming that  there  was  no  other  God  worthy 
of  worship  ;  but  the  faithful  Parsee  turns  to  his 
living,  breathing,  vitalizing  deity,  and  proclaims 
his  own  to  be  the  most  reasonable  worship. 

Their    "  Wise    Men "   followed  the   star   which 


OF    ASIA.  27 

the  shepherds  descried  upon  the  Chaldean 
plains,  until  it  rested  over  the  village  of  Beth- 
lehem, and  were  the  first  to  make  "offerings 
of  gold,  and  myrrh,  and  frankincense,"  at  the 
cradle  of  the  Saviour,  as  the  oriental  tributes 
to  royalty  and  divinity,  and  to  fall  down  and 
worship  Him  as  the  Christ !  * 

The  sun  worshipers  have  witnessed  the  rise 
of  the  impostor  of  Mecca,  and  were  crushed 
under  the  iron  heel  of  his  Moslem  hordes  be- 
cause they  would  not  abjure  their  ancient  faith, 
and  worship  an  invisible  God,  and  an  infamous 
Prophet;  but  in  the  changes  of  time,  the  cres- 
cent wanes  like  a  dying  moon,  whilst  the  God 
of  the  Parsees  rides  in » undimmed  splendor,  the 
source  of  light,  of  life,  and  of  existence. 

The  following  division  of  the  human  race  has 
been  made  according  to  religion: — 

*  And  when  they  were  come  into  the  house,  they  saw  the 
young  child  with  Mary  his  mother,  and  fell  down  and 
worshiped  him  :  and  when  they  had  opened  their  treasures, 
they  presented  unto  him  gifts,  gold,  and  frankincense,  and 
myrrh. — Matt,  ii.,  verse  11. 


28  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

Buddhists 31.2  per  cent. 

Christians 30.7 

Mahoinmedans 15.7 

Brahmins 13.4          4< 

Heathens 8.7 

Jews 0.3          " 

Parsees.... 0.01        " 

HISTORY. 

At  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  Persia  by 
Alexander  the  Great,  the  sun  worshipers  were 
crushed  under  the  heel  of  the  devastator  of 
Asia.  Their  temples  were  destroyed,  their  books 
burnt,  and  their  religion  suppressed. 

The  conquerer  of  the  world  sat  upon  the 
throne  of  the  great  Cyrus,  drunk  with  Persian 
wine  and  inflamed  with  the  love  of  the  beau- 
tiful Thais, 

"  Who  sat  by  his  side, 

"  Like  a  blooming  Eastern  bride," 

and  persuaded  him  to  dim  the  lustre  of  his 
conquest  by  burning  Persepolis,  with  all  its 
stores  of  art  and  learning. 


OF    ASIA.  29 

A  thousand  years  later  in  the  annals  of  time, 
the  Moslem  hosts  overran  Persia  like  a  sirocco, 
and  another  desolation  spread  over  the  followers 
of  Zoroaster. 

Such  as  would  not  embrace  the  faith  of  the 
conquerors,  either  fled  to  the  mountains  or 
betook  themselves  to  the  more  desolate  plains. 

"  Never  was  Iran  Doomed  to  bend 

"  Beneath  a  yoke  of  deadlier  weight. 

"  Her  throne  had  fallen,  her  pride   was  crushed, 

"  Her  sons  were  willing  slaves,   nor  blushed 

"  In  their  own  land,  no   more  their  own, 

"  To   crouch  beneath  a  stranger's  throne. 

"  Her  towers  where  Mithra  once  had  burned 

"  To  Moslem  shrines,  oh  shame !  were  turned, 

"  Where  slaves,   converted  by  the  sword, 

"  Their  mean  apostate  worship  poured, 

"  And  cursed  the  faith  their  sires  adored." 

In  the  course  of  half  a  century  after  the 
Mahommedan  conquest,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  followers  of  Zoroaster  had  sought  refuge  in 
the  island  of  Ormuz,  in  the  Persian  Gulf. 

Here  they  remained  about  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  when  they  removed  to  Gujerat,  in  India. 


30  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

Since  the  conquest  of  India  by  the  British 
Government,  they  have  been  esteemed  the  most 
faithful,  the  most  intelligent,  and  the  most  en- 
terprising subjects  of  the  Indian  Empire. 

Their  principal  residence  is  now  the  city  of 
Bc.mbay,  where  they  number  at  least  one  hun- 
dred thousand  souls. 

They   have   not   been   slow   to  gather   the 

"  Wealth  of  Ormuz  and  of  Ind, 
'*  Where  the  gorgeous  East  with   richest  hand 
"  Showers  on  her  kings  barbaric  pearls  and  gold." 

THE    DESERT. 

The  scattered  remnants  of  the  Parsee  tribes 
have  kept  up  a  communication  by  means  of 
annual  caravans,  exchanging  the  pearls  of  the 
Sea  of  Oman  and  the  gems  of  India  for  the 
silks  and  shawls  of  Persia  and  Cashmere. 

In  the  long  exile  which  they  have  endured, 
many  branches  of  the  family  of  Zoroaster  have 
become  apostates  from  the  religion  of  their 
fathers,  and  have  fallen  into  the  Pantheistic 
worship  of  the  Hindus. 


OF   ASIA.  31 

The  preparations  for  the  march  of  a  caravan 
commence  in  the  early  dawn,  before  the  burn- 
ing sun  begins  to  play  upon  the  exposed  earth. 

The  camels  kneel  for  their  burthens,  com- 
plaining all  the  while  in  a  gutteral  grunt  peculiar 
to  the  patient  and  enduring  "  ship  of  the  desert." 

The  burthens  are  adjusted,  and  the  drivers 
mount  the  beasts,  and  stretch  out  upon  the 
trackless  waste. 

The  sun  rises  from  his  oriental  couch,  and 
wooingly  kisses  the  dew  drops  from  the  face 
of  his  fair  bride  the  earth. 

The  caravan  presses'  on  amidst  the  silence 
of  the  desert,  their  busy  feet  rustling  the  sand 
as  the  tinkling  bells  vibrate  upon  the  stillness 
of  the  desert  air. 

Invisible  bells  are  ringing  in  the  ears  of  the 
drivers  and  the  men,  and  the  apostate  Parsee 
hears  the  bells  ringing  for  the  followers  of  Zoro- 
aster to  assemble  for  worship  in  the  "fire  temples" 
around  the  sacred  altar;  and  he  sees  a  pillar 
of  fire  shining  before  him  on  a  hillock  of  sand, 
and  in  the  lap  of  the  wave  of  the  desert  he 


32  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

sees  the  bright  waters  of  his  boyhood  invitingly 
shining.  But  these  are  the  illusions  of  the 
desert — the  bells  are  the  vibrations  of  the  desert 
air,  the  pillar  of  fire  the  sun's  reflection,  and 
the  valley  of  water  the  deceptive  mirage. 

The  sun  rides  in  mid-heaven  at  noonday  glaring 
upon  the  earth  like  an  angry  God. 

The  clouds  have  disappeared  before  his  gaze, 
the  sky  is  brass,  the  earth  is  iron,  the  sun  is 
a  ball  of  molten  copper. 

The  snakes  have  crawled  into  their  holes  in 
the  sand,  the  panting  lizards  seek  the  shade  of 
a  leafless  shrub,  the  solitary  hyena  scours  the 
desert,  scratching  the  sand  to  cool  his  blistered 
feet. 

The  sun  rides  in  solemn  majesty,  saying  to 
the  apostate  Parsee — 

"  I  am  the  God  of  your  fathers ;  fall  down 
and  worship  me  or  die." 

On  the  trackless  deserts  of  Asia  the  sun 
calcines  the  brain;  the  parched  lips  crack  with 
the  intense  heat;  the  tongue  swells  and  im- 
pedes respiration ;  the  glowing  eyes  turn  to 


OF    ASIA.  33 

heaven  for  pity,  but  close  in  death  under  the 
piercing  rays  of  the  angry  sun. 

The  riderless  camels  huddle  together  in  des- 
pair, and,  moaning  a  requiem  over  their  stricken 
masters,  bury  their  heads  from  the  fury  of  the 
sun  in  the  sands  of  the  desert. 

The  hot  air  escapes  from  the  parched  earth 
to  the  serene  atmosphere  of  heaven,  and  the 
vacuum  is  filled  by  the  dreadful  simoon,  which 
comes  thundering  over  the  desert  in  a  tornado 
of  sand. 

The  sirocco  eddies  around  the  lost  caravan, 
and  covers  it  from  the  pitiless  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  merciful  clouds  shed  a  flood  of  tears 
upon  the  mound,  moistening  the  seeds  of  a  few 
date  palms,  causing  them  to  fructify  and  grow 
a  grove  of  stately  palm  trees,  under  which  pious 
sun  worshipers  stop  on  their  journeys  from 
India  to  Persia,  and  relate  to  their  young  men 
the  fate  of  the  caravan  which  refused  to  wor- 
ship the  God  of  their  fathers,  the  God  of  the 
desert.  Long  may  the  palm  grove  shade  the 
remains  of  the  perished  caravan ! 


34  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

The  palm  tree  is  the  nursling  of  the  sun, 
and  in  many  lands,  it  is  the  only  living  thing 
between  earth  and  heaven. 

Stately  and  beautiful,  its  branches  are  out- 
spread to  the  sun  imploring  mercy. 

Placid  and  calm  in  the  mellow  moonlight,  it 
is  inlaid  upon  the  sky. 

Blessed   be   the   peaceful   palm   tree ! 

BIRTH. 

A  Parsee  must  be  born  upon  the  ground 
floor  of  the  house,  as  the  teachings  of  their 
religion  require  life  to  be  commenced  in  hu- 
mility, and  by  good  actions  alone  can  an  ele- 
vated position  be  attained  either  in  this  world 
or  the  next. 

•    The   mother   is   not    seen   by  any   member  of 
the   family    for   forty   days. 

Upon  the  seventh  day  after,  the  birth  of  the 
child,  pen,  paper  and  ink  are  placed  within 
the  prohibited  enclosure,  in  order  that  the  god- 
dess "  Chhatti "  may  write  out  the  destiny  of 
the  child. 


OF    ASIA.  35 

If  the  goddess  should  not  appear,  it  is  pos- 
sible that  the  mother  may  amuse  her  convales- 
ence  by  writing  out  such  a  career  for  her 
new-born  babe  as  she  would  desire.  This  paper 
is  preserved  in  the  family  archives  as  a  guid- 
ance and  encouragement  to  the  child  through 
life,  and  may  exert  some  influence  in  shaping 
its  destiny. 

At  the  age  of  seven  years  or  thereabouts, 
according  to  the  judgment  of  the  priest,  the 
first  religious  ceremony  of  the  Parsees  is  per- 
formed upon  the  young  Zoroastrian. 

He  is  first  subjected  to  the  process  of  puri- 
fication, which  consists  of  an  ablution  with 
"nirang." 

The  ceremony  consists  in  investing  the  young 
Parsee  with  the  cincture,  or  girdle  of  his  faith. 
This  cincture  is  a  cord  woven  by  the  women 
of  the  priestly  class  only.  It  is  composed  of 
seventy-two  threads,  representing  the  seventy-two 
chapters  of  the  Zend-Avesta,  in  the  sacredness 
of  which  the  young  neophyte  is  figuratively 
bound. 


36  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

The  priest  ties  the  sacred  cord  around  the 
waist  as  he  pronounces  the  benediction  upon 
the  child,  throwing  upon  its  head  at  each  sen- 
tence slices  of  fruits,  seeds,  perfumes  and 
spices. 

He  is  thus  received  into  the  religion  of  Zo- 
roaster. 

After  the  performance  of  this  ceremony,  the 
child  is  considered  morally  accountable  for  its 
acts. 

If  a  child  should  die  before  the  performance 
of  this  ceremony,  it  is  considered  to  have  gone 
back  to  the  spirit  which  gave  it,  as  pure  as  it 
entered  into  this  world,  not  having  reached  the 
age  of  accountability. 

The  ceremony  of  "  Kusti,"  or  encircling  with 
the  girdle,  is  closed  by  the  distribution  of  re- 
freshments to  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the 
family  who  have  attended  the  investiture  of  the 
young  follower  of  Zoroaster  with  the  sacred 
girdle  of  his  faith. 


^s 

MTTtt  TTTTZI?  a;T  V» 

OF   ASIA.  37 


MARRIAGE. 

» 

Early   marriages   are    customary   in   Asia. 

The  betrothal  of  young  Parsees  frequently 
occurs  directly  after  they  are  born — in  some 
instances  before. 

The  wedding  day  is  fixed  by  an  astrologer, 
who  consults  the  stars  for  a  happy  period  of 
conjunction  for  the  young  adventurers  upon  the 
matrimonial  sea. 

The  wedding  day  being  fixed,  a  Parsee  priest 
goes  from  house  to  house  with  a  list  of  the 
guests  to  be  invited,  and  delivers  the  invita- 
tions with  much  ceremony. 

The  father  of  the  bride  waits  upon  near  re- 
lations and  distinguished  personages,  soliciting 
the  honor  of  their  attendance. 

A  little  before  sunset  a  procession  is  formed 
at  the  house  of  the  bridegroom,  and  proceeds 
with  a  band  of  music,  amid  great  pomp  and 
ceremony  to  the  house  of  the  bride's  father. 

At  the  house  of  the  bride's  father,  a  num- 
ber of  relatives  and  friends  are  collected  at 


3&  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

the  door  to  receive  the  bridegroom  with  due 
honor.  • 

Presents  are  sent  before,  according  to  the 
time-honored  customs  of  the  East. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  procession  at  the 
house  of  the  bride,  the  gentlemen  gallantly  re- 
main outside,  leaving  room  for  the  ladies  to 
enter  the  house  with  the  bridegroom,  as  his 
escort. 

As  he  passes  the  threshold,  his  future  mother- 
in-law  meets  him  with  a  tray  filled  with  fruits 
and  rice,  which  she  strews  at  his  feet. 

The  fathers  of  the  young  couple  are  seated 
side  by  side,  and  between  them  stands  the 
priest  ready  to  perform  the  magic  ceremony. 

The  young  couple  are  seated  on  two  chairs 
opposite  each  other,  their  right  hands  tied  to- 
gether by  a  silken  chord,  which  is  gradually 
wound  around  them  as  the  ceremony  progresses, 
the  bride  in  the  meantime  being  concealed 
with  a  veil  of  silk  or  muslin,  such  as  covered 
the  face  of  Rebecca  until  she  became  the  wife 
of  Isaac. 


OF    ASIA.  39 

The  priest  lights  a  lamp  of  incense,  and  re- 
peats the  following  ceremony  in  the  old  Persian 
language : — 

"  Know  ye,  that  both  of  you  have  loved 
"  each  other,  therefore  you  are  united  as  man 
"  and  wife. 

"  Look  not  with  impious  eye  upon  other 
"  people,  but  make  it  your  study  to  love,  honor, 
"  and  cherish  each  other  as  long  as  you  both 
"  remain  in  this  world. 

"  May  quarrels  never  arise  between  you,  and 
"  may  your  love  for  each  other  increase  day 
"  by  day  as  long  as  you  live. 

"  May  you  both  learn  to  adhere  to  the  truth, 
"  and  be  always  pure  in  your  thoughts,  words, 
"  and  'deeds,  and  always  try  to  please  the  Al- 
"  mighty,  the  lover  of  truth  and  righteousness. 
"  Shun  evil  company,  abstain  from  avarice, 
"  envy,  pride,  idleness ;  cultivate  friendship,  be 
"  charitable ;  respect  your  parents  above  all  others. 
"  May  success  crown  your  efforts ;  may  you  be 
"  blessed  with  children ;  may  you  exalt  the  re- 


40  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

"  ligion  of  Zoroaster ;  may  the  blessing  of  heaven 
"  descend  upon  you." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony  they  each 
throw  upon  the  other  some  grains  of  rice,  and 
the  most  expeditious  in  performing  this  feat  is 
considered  to  have  got  the'  start  of  the  other 
in  the  future  control  of  the  household,  and 
receives  the  applause  of  the  male  or  female 
part  of  the  congregation,  as  the  case  may  be. 

The  priest  now  throws  some  grains  of  rice 
upon  the  heads  of  the  married  pair  in  token 
of  wishing  them  abundance ;  and  bouquets  of 
flowers  are  handed  to  the  assembled  guests, 
and  rose-water  is  showered  upon  their  heads. 

The  bride  and  bridegroom  now  break  some 
sweetmeats,  and,  after  having  served'  each 
other,  the  company  are  invited  to  partake  of 
refreshments. 

At  the  termination  of  this  feast  the  proces- 
sion forms,  and,  with  lanterns  and  music,  escorts 
the  bridegroom  back  to  his  own  house,  where 
they  feast  until  midnight. 

As    midnight   approaches    they   return    to    the 


OF    ASIA.  41 

house  of  the  bride,  and  escort  her,  with  her 
dowry,  to  the  house  of  the  bridegroom,  and, 
having  delivered  her  safely  to  her  future  lord 
and  master,  disperse  to  their  respective  homes. 

Eight  days  after  the  bridal  ceremony  a  wed- 
ding feast  is  given  by  the  newly  married  couple, 
to  which  only  near  relations  and  particular 
friends  are  invited. 

This  feast  is  composed  entirely  of  vegetables, 
but  wine  is  not  forbidden ;  and  at  each  course 
the  wine  is  served,  and  some  of  the  guests 
propose  a  toast,  as 

"  Glory   to    God." 

"  Happiness   to    the   young   couple." 

"  Abundance    and    fruitfulness." 

DEATH. 

The  funeral  ceremonies  of  the  Parsees  are 
solemn  and  imposing. 

When  the  Divine  Essence  receives  back  into 
its  bosom  the  vital  spark  which  has  animated 
a  human  body,  the  relations  and  friends  of  the 


42  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

deceased  are  naturally  drawn  nearer  to  the  source 
of  life. 

When  the  medical  attendant  declares  the  case 
of  a  Parsee  hopeless,  and  announces  that  the. 
immortal  spirit  is  about  leaving  the  body,  the 
priest  advances  to  the  bed  of  the  dying  man, 
and  says : — 

"  May  the  Almighty  pardon  you  for  anything 
"  you  may  have  done  against  His  will,  His 
"  commandments,  and  the  dictates  of  the  true 
"  religion  of  Zoroaster. 

"  May  the  Merciful  God  give  you  a  good 
"  and  happy  abode  in  the  world  which  you  are 
"  about  to  enter,  and  have  mercy  upon  your 
"  soul." 

After  the  spirit  has  departed  from  the  body, 
a  funeral  sermon  is  delivered  by  the  priest,  in 
which  the  inanimate  clay  before  them  is  made 
the.  subject  of  an  exhortation  to  the  relatives 
and  friends  of  the  deceased  to  live  pure,  holy, 
and  righteous  lives,  so  that  they  may  hope,  by 
the  mercy  of  the  Almighty,  to  be  allowed  to 


OF    ASIA.  43 

cross  the  bridge  of  Chinvat,  and  meet  in  Par- 
adise. 

The  body  is  taken  to  the  ground  floor  where 
it  was  born,  and,  after  being  washed  and  per- 
fumed, is  dressed  in  clean  white  clothes  and 
laid  upon  an  iron  bier. 

A  dog  (the  most  faithful  companion  of  man) 
is  then  brought  in  to  take  a  last  look  at  its 
inanimate  master. 

This  may  be  considered  by  us  a  superstition, 
but  it  is  an  essential  part  of  the  Parsee  fune- 
ral ceremony. 

A  number  of  priests  attend  and  read  prayers 
from  the  holy  books  of  their  religion  for  the 
repose  of  the  soul  of  the  departed  Parsee. 

All  the  male  friends  of  the  deceased  go  to 
the  door,  bow  down  and  raise  their  two  hands, 
from  touching  the  floor  to  their  heads,  indica- 
tive of  their  deepest  respect  for  the  departed. 
The  body,  after  being  put  upon  the  bier,  is 
covered  over  from  head  to  foot.  Two  attend- 
ants bring  it  out  of  the  house,  holding  it  low 
in  their  hands,  and  deliver  it  to  four  pall- 


44  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

bearers  outside;  the  attendants  at  the  bier,  as 
well  as  the  pall-bearers,  being  clad  in  well- 
washed,  clean,  white,  but  old  clothes. 

All  the  people  present  stand  up  as  the  body 
is  taken  out  of  the  house,  and  bow  to  it  in 
respect  as  it  passes  by. 

A  procession  is  now  formed  by  the  friends 
of  the  deceased,  headed  by  a  number  of  priests 
in  full  dress,  to  follow  the  body  to  the  dokhma, 
or  "  temple  of  silence,"  the  last  resting-place  of 
the  departed  Parsee. 

These  "  temples  of  silence  "  are  towers,  which 
may  be  seen  on  the  beautiful  hills  around  the 
harbor  o£  Bombay,  and  wherever  else  this  mys- 
terious race  remain. 

They  are  constructed  of  stone,  and  rise  some 
twenty-five  feet  high,  with  a  small  door  at  the 
side  for  the  entrance  of  the  body. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  "  temple  of  silence," 
the  bier  is  laid  down,  and  prayers  are  again 
said.  The  attendants  then  raise  the  body  to 
its  final  resting-place,  lay  it  upon  its  stony  bed, 
and  retire. 


OF    ASIA.  45 

A  round  pit  about  six  feet  deep  is  surrounded 
by  an  annular  stone  pavement  about  seven  feet 
wide,  on  which  the  bodies  are  placed. 

This  pit  has  communication  with  gutters, 
through  which  the  rain  washes  out  the  liquid 
of  the  dead  bodies  into  subterranean  pits  pre- 
pared for  their  reception. 

The  remains  of  the  human  body  are  distrib- 
uted to  the  four  elements  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed : 

Earth  to  earth. 
Air    to  air. 
Water  to  water. 
Fire  to  fire. 

The  worms  of  the  earth  shall  not  consume 
the  forms  that  were  loved  and  cherished  in 
life  :  the  sun  warmed  them  into  existence,  the 
sun  shall  receive  their  vital  essence. 

From  the  sun  thou  comest — to  the  sun  thou 
goest — child  of  the  sun. 

On  the  third  day  after  death,  an  assemblage 
of  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  deceased 


46  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

takes  place  at  hi*s  late  residence,  and  thence 
proceed  to  the  "temple  of  fire." 

The  priests  stand  before  the  urns  in  which 
the  celestial  fire  is  kept  burning,  and  recite 
prayers  for  the  soul  of  the  departed. 

The  son  or  adopted  son  of  the  deceased 
kneels  before  the  high  priest,  and  promises  due 
performance  of  all  the  religious  duties  and  ob- 
sequies to  the  dead. 

The  relatives  and  friends  then  hand  the 
priest  a  list  of  the  contributions  and  charities 
which  have  been  subscribed  in  memory  of  the 
deceased,  which  concludes  the  ceremony  of  "  ris- 
ing from  mourning,"  or  "  the  ressurrection  of 
the  dead." 

On  each  successive  anniversary  of  the  death 
of  a  Parsee,  funeral  ceremonies  are  performed 
in  his  memory. 

An  iron  framework  is  erected  in  the  house, 
in  which  shrubs  are  planted  and  flowers  culti- 
vated to  bloom  in  memory  of  the  departed. 

Before   the  frame,  on   iron  stands,  are  placed 


OF    ASIA.  47 

copper  or  silver  vases,  filled  with  water  and 
covered  with  flowers. 

Prayers  are  said  before  these  iron  frames  two 
or  three  times  a  day. 

These  observances  are  called  "  Mooctads,"  or 
ceremonies  of  departed  souls. 

COSTUMES. 

The  every  day  life  of  the  Parsee  may  be 
interesting  to  those  who  are  not  familiar  with 
Oriental  customs. 

On  getting  out  of  bed  in  the  morning,  an 
orthodox  Parsee  first  says  his  prayers.  He  then 
rubs  a  little  "  nirang"  upon  his  hands,  face, 
and  feet,  reciting  during  the  ceremony  a  prayer 
or  incantation  against  the  influence  of  devas  or 
evil  spirits,  for  which  the  "  nirang "  is  consid- 
ered a  specific.  He  next  takes  his  bath,  cleans 
his  teeth,  and  repeats  his  prayers.  He  then 
takes  his  morning  meal,  consisting  of  tea  or 
chocolate,  fruits  and  bread, — a  light  repast,  which 
fits  him  for  the  duties  of  the  day. 

His   costume   is   loose   and    flowing,  very    pic- 


48  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

turesque  in  appearance,  and  admirably  adapted 
to  the  climate  in  which  he  lives. 

The  sudra,  or  shirt,  which  is  considered  the 
most  sacred  garment,  because  it  is  worn  next 
the  skin,  is  a  plain  loose  vest,  usually  made 
of  muslin,  or  with  the  opulent  of  fine  white 
linen. 

A  long  coat  or  gown  is  worn  over  the  sudra, 
extending  to  the  knees,  and  fastened  around 
the  waist  with  the  kusti,  or  sacred  cord,  which 
is  carried  around  three  times,  and  fastened  in 
front  with  a  double  knot. 

The  pyjamis,  or  loose  trowsers,  are  fastened 
around  the  waist  by  a  silken  cord  with  tassels 
at  the  ends,  which  are  run  through  a  hem- 
The  material  of  these  pyjamis,  among  the  com- 
mon classes,  is  cotton,  but  the  rich  indulge  in 
fancy  colored  silks  and  satins. 

The  head  is  covered  with  a  turban,  or  cap, 
of  a  fashion  peculiar  to  the  Parsees :  it  is 
made  of  stiff  material,  something  like  the  Euro- 
pean hat,  without  any  rim,  and  has  an  angle 
from  the  top  of  the  forehead  backwards. 


OF    ASIA.  49 

The  color  is  chocolate  or  maroon,  except 
with  the  priests,  who  wear  a  white  turban. 

It  would  not  be  respectful  to  uncover  in 
presence  of  an  equal  nor  even  of  a  superior. 

The  shoes  are  of  red  or  yellow  morocco, 
turned  up  at  the  toes. 

The  dress  of  a  Parsee  lady  is  something 
gorgeous.  They  are  enveloped  in  a  maze  of 
mysteriously  wound  silk,  far  beyond  my  power 
of  description. 

They  appear  as  houris  floating  about  the 
earth  in  silk  baloons,  with  a  ballasting  of 
anklets,  necklaces,  earrings,  and  jewelry,  in- 
tended, as  may  be  the  case  with  many,  other 
finely  dressed  ladies,  to  bind  them  to  the  earth. 

The  dressmakers'  bills,  fortunately  for  the 
head  of  the  family,  are  not  exorbitant,  as  their 
costumes  have  not  been  through  the  hands  of 
the  modiste,  but  are  composed  of  many  yards 
of  fancy-colored  silks  wound  round  the  nether 
limbs  and  gradually  enfolding  the  body,  cover- 
ing part  of  the  bosom,  and  are  then  thrown 
over  the  shoulders  and  head,  drooping  on  the 


50  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

left   arm,    as    a    shield    against    the    inquisitive 
gaze   of  a   stranger. 

The  pyjamis,  or  drawers,  are  common  to 
both  sexes,  but  the  ladies,  of  course,  excel  in 
the  fine  texture  and  fanciful  colors  of  these 
picturesque  coverings  of  their  fair  extremities. 

CUSTOMS. 

The  men  are  well  formed,  active,  handsome 
and  intelligent.  They  have  light  olive  complex- 
ions, a  fine  aquiline  nose,  bright  black  eyes, 
a  well-turned  chin,  heavy  arched  eyebrows,  thick 
sensual  lips,  and  usually  wear  a  light  curling 
moustache. 

The  women  are  delicate  in  frame,  with  small 
hands  and  feet,  fair  complexions,  beautiful  black 
eyes,  finely  arched  eyebrows,  and  a  luxuriant 
profusion  of  long  black  hair,  which  they  dress 
to  perfection,  and  ornament  with  pearls  and 
gems. 

The  Parsees  are  much  more  liberal  in  their 
treatment  of  females  than  any  other  Asiatic 
race ;  they  allow  them  to  appear  freely  in  pub- 


OF    ASIA.  51 

lie,  and  leave  them  the  entire  management  of 
household  affairs. 

They  are  proverbial  for  their  benevolence,  hos- 
pitality and  sociability.  They  are  apt  scholars, 
and  usually  learn  several  languages.  The  Gu- 
jerati,  Hindustani,  and  English  are  necessary 
to  their  business. 

The  Parsees  are  notoriously  fond  of  good 
living,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  spend  their  money 
freely  for  the  best  the  market  affords. 

They  indulge  in  wines,  but  do  not  reach  the 
vice  of  intoxication. 

Their  first  meal,  according  to  the  customs  of 
the  East,  is  a  light  breakfast,  say,  tea,  bread 
and  fruits. 

The  dinner  is  more  abundant,  and  is  com- 
posed of  the  dishes  of  the  country — meats, 
stews,  vegetables,  rice,  fruits,  etc. 

These  dishes  are  seasoned  with  pungent 
sauces,  curries,  chutneys,  pickles,  etc.,  etc.,  one 
of  which,  famous  in  Bombay,  is  marked  with 
the  mild  initials  H.  F.  (hell-fire.) 

The  evening  meal  is  taken   after  sunset,  when 


52  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

the  labors  and  ceremonies  of  the  day  are  over, 
and  is  the  signal  for  license  in  eating,  drink- 
ing and  conversation. 

A  "  tat "  or  parting  drink  for  the  night  is 
the  time-honored  custom  among  the  Parsees  as 
well  as  the  Western  nations. 

THE     SACRED     FIRE. 

The   antiquity    of  sun    worship  mocks  history. 

It  flourished  in  Japan  at  the  remotest  pe- 
riod of  Japanese  tradition,  and  to-day  a  red 
sun  upon  a  white  shield  is  the  national  banner 
of  the  Japanese  empire. 

The  city  of  Baal,  or  Baal-bee,  is  the  grand- 
est ruin  which  the  sun  worshipers  have  left 
upon  the  earth. 

The  monuments  are  so  great  that  Oriental 
nations  will  not  believe  that  they  were  erected 
by  human  hands,  but  attribute  them  to  the 
genii,  who  they  believe  were  coerced  to  the 
Titanic  labor  by  the  talismanic  seal  of  King 
Solomon. 

An    eminent    writer   says  : —  "  If  all    the   ruins 


OF    ASIA.  53 

"  of  ancient  Rome  were  gathered  together  in 
"  one  group,  they  would  not  equal  in  extent 
"  the  ruins  of  Baal-bee." 

"  Baal-bee,   thou  city  of  the  sun, 
Why  art  thou   silent,   mighty  one." 

Heliopolis  in  Egypt  was  also  a  city  of  the 
sun.  The  obelisk  erected  3600  years  ago, 
stands  upon  the  ruined  temples  of  the  sun 
worshipers. 

In  the  western  hemisphere  the  glory  of  his 
brightness  was  heralded  from  the  golden  tem- 
ples of  the  Incas  of  Peru  to  the  teocallis  of 
the  Pima  Indians. 

The  sacred  fire  of  the  Parsees,  drawn  from 
the  sun  by  Zoroaster  has  been  preserved  with 
care  throughout  all  their  vicissitudes. 

It  is  always  kept  burning  in  their  temples, 
representing  the  essence  of  nature,  the  divine 
spark  of  immortality,  the  fluid  pervading  the 
whole  earth — electricity — the  cause  of  all  growth, 
vigor,  and  splendor. 

Therefore  it  is  regarded  with  much  reverence 
by  the  Parsees. 


54  THE  SUN  WORSHIPERS 

In  religious  processions,  or  in  time  of  war, 
the  sacred  fire  is  carried  on  silver  altars  sur- 
rounded by  the  Magi  singing  hymns,  and  fol- 
lowed by  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  youths 
clad  in  scarlet,  representing  the  days  of  the  year. 

When  the  crescent  triumphed  over  the  sun 
at  Nahavand,  the  faithful  sun  worshipers  car- 
ried the  sacred  fire  into  the  mountains  of 
Khorasan,  where  they  concealed  themselves  in 
caves,  and  continued  to  keep  the  sacred  fire 
burning,  and  to  worship  the  God  it  represents. 

"  The  orb   that  with  surpassing  glory    crowned, 
'*  Looks  from  his  sole  dominion  like  a  God 
"  Of  that  new  world,  at  whose  sight  all  the  stars 
"  Veil  their  diminished  heads." 

The  sun  worshipers  were  well  known  to  the 
ancient  Israelites,  who  had  frequent  intercourse 
with  them. 

Moses  first  ordered  the  destruction  of  the 
sun  temples.— Deut.  chap.  xii. 

Ezekiel  warned  the  Jews  against  falling  into 
the  idolatries  of  the  Persians  in  worshiping 
the  sun. — Ezek.  chap.  viii.  v.  16,  17. 


OF    ASIA.  55 

Cyrus  the  Great,  King  of  Persia,  was  highly 
esteemed  by  the  sacred  writers,  and  was  lauded 
by  them  as  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of 
God  to  subdue  the  heathens. 

He  was % called  "the  Eagle  from  the  Orient" 
(as  the  eagle  was  the  ensign  of  the  ancient 
Persians);  "the  annointed  of  the  Lord;"  "the 
shepherd  who  carries  out  the  Lord's  decrees." 
— Isaiah  chap.  xlv.  v.  i. 

YEZDIJIRD. 

The  last  stand  made  by  the  Parsees  for 
empire,  for  religion,  and  for  fatherland,  was 
near  Ecbatana,  where  there  is  a  cenotaph  to 
Ahasueras,  and  his  Hebrew  wife,  the  beautiful 
Esther. 

The  Persian  army  at  the  battle  mustered 
150,000  men,  commanded  by  Thiranzin,  and 
fought  under  the  eye  of  King  Yezdijird. 

The  Moslem  force  was  gathered  by  the  Caliph 
Omar,  and  fought  under  command  of  Norman 
Ben  Makran  Mazanni. 

The    followers    of    Mahomet,    shouting    "  Alia 


5^  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

Akbar,"  charged  the  Persian  host  with  irresist- 
ible fury,  and  the  sun  went  down  upon  the 
broken  and  scattered  ranks  of  its  worshipers. 
When  it  rose  again,  the  Persian  kingdom,  claim- 
ing to  be  coeval  with  the  sun,  had'  ceased  to 
exist. 

The  Parsees  compute  time  from  the  fall  of 
Yezdijird,  which  makes  this  (1877,  A.  D.)  the 
year  1246. 

Their  calendar  is  divided  into  twelve  months 
of  thirty  days  each  (the  other  five  days  being 
added  for  holy  days,  are  not  counted). 

Each  day  in  the  year  is  named  after  some 
particular  angel  of  bliss,  under  whose  especial 
protection  it  is  passed. 

On  feast  days  a  division  of  five  watches  is 
made  under  the  protection  of  five  different 
divinities. 

In  midwinter  a  feast  of  six  days  is  held  in 
commemoration  of  the  six  periods  of  creation. 

About  the  2ist  of  March  (the  vernal  equinox) 
a  festival  is  held  in  honor  of  agriculture,  when 
planting  begins. 


OF    ASIA.  57 

In  the  middle  of  April  a  feast  is  held  to 
celebrate  the  creation  of  trees,  shrubbery,  and 
flowers. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  the  sixth  month,  a 
feast  is  held  in  honor  of  Shahrevar,  the  deity 
presiding  over  mountains  and  mines. 

On  the  sixteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month 
a  feast  is  held  in  honor  of  "  Mithra,"  the  deity 
presiding  over  and  directing  the  course  of  the 
sun. 

Also  a  festival  to  celebrate  truth  and  friend- 
ship. 

On  the  tenth  day  of  the  eighth  month  a 
festival  is  held  in  honor  of  Farvardin,  the  deity 
who  presides  over  the  departed  souls  of  men. 

This  day  is  especially  set  apart  for  the  per- 
formance of  ceremonies  for  the  dead. 

The  people  attend  on  the  hills  where  the 
"Temples  of  Silence"  are  situated,  and  there 
perform  prayers  for  the  departed  souls. 

The  Parsees  are  enjoined  by  their  religion 
to  preserve  tfce  memory  of  the  dead  by  annual 
religious  ceremonies  performed  in  the  house  ; 


5  8  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

but  such  of  their  friends  as  die  on  long  voy- 
ages, or  in  unknown  places,  and  the  date  of 
whose  death  cannot  be  known,  are  honored  by 
sacred  rites  on  this  day. 

The  Parsee  scriptures  require  the  last  ten 
days  of  the  year  to  be  spent  in  doing  deeds 
of  charity,  and  in  prayers  of  thankfulness  to 
God. 

On  the  day  of  Yezdijird,  or  new  year's  day, 
the  Parsees  emulate  the  western  world  in  re- 
joicing and  social  intercourse. 

They  rise  early,  and  after  having  performed 
their  prayers  and  ablutions,  dress  themselves  in 
a  new  suit  of  clothes,  and  sally  forth  to  the 
"  fire  temples,"  to  worship  the  emblem  of  their 
divinity — the  sacred  fire,  which  is  perpetually 
burning  on  the  altar. 

Unless  they  duly  perform  this  ceremony,  they 
believe  their  souls  will  not  be  allowed  to  pass 
the  bridge  of  "Chinvat,"  leading  to  heaven. 

After  they  have  performed  their  religious  ser- 
vices, they  visit  their  relations  and  friends,  when 


OF    ASIA.  59 

the  ceremony  of  "Hamijur,"  or  joining  of  hands, 
is   performed. 

This  ceremony  is  a  kind  of  greeting  by 
which  they  wish  each  other  "a  happy  new 
year." 

Their  relations  and  friends  are  invited  to 
dinner,  and  they  spend  the  balance  of  the  day 
in  feasting  and  rejoicing;  alms  are  given  to  the 
poor,  and  new  suits  of  clothes  are  presented 
to  servants  and  dependents. 

The  ancient  Persians  possessed  a  profound 
knowledge  of  astronomy. 

They  did  not  speak  of  "the  four  corners  of 
the  earth,"  as  the  Jews  did,  but  compared  the 
universe  to  a  chariot  drawn  by  four  horses, 
continually  in  motion. 

They  believed  in  the  revolution  of  the  earth 
before  the  land  was  raised  from  the  sea  upon 
which  Galileo  was  born. 

The  sun  was  worshiped  as  the  symbol  of 
divinity  under  the  name  of  Baal,  or  Moloch. 

The  moon  was  worshiped  as  the  Queen  of 
Heaven,  under  the  name  of  Astarte,  or  Astaroth. 


60  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

The  firmament  was  mapped  and  a  catalogue 
of  over  one  thousand  stars  was  made  before 
the  Christian  era. 

The  Parsees  claim  the  ancient  order  of  Free- 
masonry, with  all  its  customs,  ceremonies,  hiero- 
glyphics, and  chronology,  as  an  offshoot  from 
the  religion  of  the  Magi. 

They  have  several  flourishing  Masonic  Lodges 
in  Bombay,  and  are  received  in  fellowship  by 
the  Masonic  Lodges  in  England  and  France. 

Their  religion  teaches  them  benevolence  as 
the  first  principle,  and  no  people  practice  it 
with  more  liberality.  A  beggar  among  the  Par- 
sees  is  unknown,  and  would  be  a  scandal  to 
the  society. 

In  the  city  of  Bombay  alone  they  have  thirty- 
two  different  charitable  institutions. 

The  sagacity,  activity,  and  commercial  enter- 
prise of  the  Parsees  are  proverbial  in  the  East, 
and  their  credit  as  merchants  is  almost  un- 
limited. 

They  frequently  control  the  opium  product 
of  India,  which  amounts  annually  to  something 
like  ten  million  pounds  sterling. 


OF    ASIA.  6 1 

They  have  some  fifty  large  commercial  houses 
in  Bombay,  fourteen  in  Calcutta,  twenty  in  Hong 
Kong,  ten  in  Shanghai,  four  in  London,  three 
in  Amoy,  one  in  Foo-Chow,  one  in  Yokohama, 
and  many  throughout  India,  Persia,  and  Egypt. 

The  most  eminent  Parsee  of  modern  times 
was  Sir  Jamseetjee  Jeejeeboy,  a  merchant  prince 
of  India,  who  was  made  a  baronet  by  the 
Queen  of  England  and  Empress  of  India,  in 
recognition  of  his  many  acts  of  benevolence 
and  charity. 

He  had  given  away  something  over  ^250,000 
for  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  his 
fellow-creatures. 

His  son  succeeds  to  his  title,  and  has  a 
legacy  of  ^10,000  per  annum,  safely  invested 
in  the  British  funds,  to  enable  him  to  keep  up 
the  distinguished  honor  conferred  upon  the 
founder  of  his  family,  with  suitable  dignity. 

A  beautiful  fountain  has  recently  been  erect- 
ed in  Regent's  Park,  London,  by  the  munifi- 
cence of  Cowasjee  Jehanger,  a  wealthy  Parsee. 
gentleman  of  Bombay. 


62  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Parsees  were  sup- 
erstitious about  extinguishing  fire,  but  this  is 
probably  a  mistake. 

They  are  the  only  people  in  the  world  who 
do  not  smoke  tobacco,  or  some  other  stimulat- 
ing weed. 

Their  reverence  for  fire  as  a  symbol  of  pur- 
ity prevents  them  from  dealing  with  it  lightly. 
They  would  not  play  with  fire,  nor  extinguish 
it  unnecessarily;  and  generally  welcome  the 
evening  blaze  with  a  prayer  of  thankfulness. 

Their  religion  forbids  them  to  defile  any  of 
the  creations  of  God,  such  as  the  earth,  water, 
trees,  flowers,  &c. ;  and  on  no  account  would 
a  Parsee  indulge  in  the  disgusting  habit  of  ex- 
pectoration. 

They  have  been  accustomed  to  the  refine- 
ment of  finger-bowls  after  meals,  for  several 
thousand  years,  and  resort  to  ablutions  fre- 
quently. 


OF    ASIA.  63 

PANCHAYAT. 

The  secular  affairs  of  the  Parsees  are  man- 
aged by  an  elective  committee,  or  "  Panchayat," 
composed  of  twelve  priests  and  six  bishops, 
making  a  council  of  eighteen. 

Its  functions  resemble  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim 
or  the  Venetian  Council  of  Ten,  and  its  objects 
are  to  preserve  unity,  peace,  and  justice  amongst 
the  followers  of  Zoroaster. 

One  law  of  the  Panchayat  is  singular  in  its 
difference  from  the  law  or  custom  of  any  other 
native  community  in  Asia.  It  is  this : 

"That  nobody  who  has  a  wife  living  shall 
marry  another." 

The  strength  of  the  authority  of  the  "  Pan- 
chayat" was  severely  tried  in  a  recent  case  at 
Bombay. 

A  •  very  rich  and  influential  member  of  the 
society  having  committed  bigamy,  was  cited  to 
appear  before  the  "Panchayat"  to  answer  this 
violation  of  the  law;  and  under  threat  of  excom- 
munication, not  only  to  the  offender,  'but  to  all 


64  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

who  harbored  or  associated  with  him,  the  cul- 
prit surrendered  himself  to  the  judgment  of 
the  ancient  tribunal  of  his  faith. 
The  decree  of  the  Panchayat  was: 
That  he  should  deposit  2,000  rupees  as  se- 
curity for  the  maintenance  of  his  first  wife,  and 
restore  to  her  all  her  maiden  jewels ;  that  he 
should  appear  in  the  presence  of  the  "Pan- 
chayat" with  sackcloth  around  his  neck,  and, 
holding  his  shoe  in  his  hand,  should  beat  him- 
self five  times  over  the  face  with  the  sole,  in 
token  of  humility;  and  that  he  should  undergo 
purification  for  forty  days  before  he  again  ap- 
peared in  society. 

A  sentence  which  the  ladies  will  no  doubt 
approve. 

CASTE. 

There  are  only  two  distinct  castes  among  the 
Parsees, — the  Priests  and  the  People. 

The  priestly  office  is  hereditary,  and  no  one 
can  become  a  Priest  who  was  not  born  in  the 
purple;  but  the  son  of  a  priest  may  -become  a 
layman. 


OF    ASIA.  65 

• 
PARSER    POETRY. 

The  Parsees  have  not  been  without  members 
who  aspired  to  woo  the  Muse  of  Poetry. 

The  loves  of  Joseph  and  Potiphar's  wife 
(whom  they  call  the  beautiful  Zuleika)  seem  to 
have  formed  a  prolific  theme  for  song. 

They  gave  Joseph  the  credit  of  being  the 
Adonis  of  the  East,  and  frequently  refer  to  him 
as  the  physical  type  of  manly  beauty  in  the  age 
in  which  he  lived. 

The    Poet   Jami    says : 

"Zuleika,  at  night,  impatient  and  distracted, 
"the  twin  sister  of  affliction,  to  which  sorrow 
"  was  a  familiar  friend, — 

"  Drank  to  the  very  dregs  the  cup  of  wretch- 
"  edness,  from  the  burning  anguish  of  passion 
"  passed  the  night  without  repose." 

The  fair  Zuleika  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
so  cruel  or  indifferent  to  the  fate  of  Joseph 
as  his  Israelitish  brethren  have  taught  us  to 
believe. 

She  says  : 


66  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

"  When  a  prison  becomes  the  residence  of 
"such  a  lovely  rose,  it  loses  the  horrors  of  a 
"prison,  and  possesses  the  charms  of  spring. 

"If  in  paradise  we  were  not  to  behold  the 
"face  of  the  person  we  adore,  paradise  would 
"appear  dreary  to  a  lover's  eye." 

More  charitable  than  Moses,  and  perhaps  ex- 
ercising a  poetic  license,  the  Parsee  writers 
crown  the  passion  of  the  fair  Zuleika  with  hap- 
piness, and  unite  her  in  marriage  to  the  vir- 
tuous Joseph  who  becomes  King  of  Egypt. 

The  Parsee  effusions  are  warm  in  praise  of 
wine,  women,  and  flowers ;  in  fact,  they  are 
altogether  too  warm  to  repeat  in  the  frigid  at- 
mosphere of  America,  where  the  blood  is  not 
warmed  by  the  Persian  sun. 

The   lover   sings   to   his   mistress : — 
"  O   you   with    large    eyes,    bright   and    open   as 

cups, 
"  You    have  two   young   citrons  nestled  on   your 

breast ; 

"  Your   teeth   are    mother-of-pearl   and   your   lips 
are  honey ; 


OF    ASIA.  67 

"  Your  hair  is  like  a  fragrant   bush,  and  spreads 

on  your  shoulders ; 
"  The  down  on  your  face  is  like  violets  under  a 

bed  of  roses  ; 
"  Your  body  is  a  garden  with    buds  opening  on 

your  breast. 
"  Whoever    comes    to    gather    flowers,    tell   him 

they  are  mine. 

"  Thou  art  my  nightingale  and  my  shrub  of  roses- 
"  Red-skirted  girl,  thy  forehead  is  like  the  moon. 
"  Should  the  nightingale  behold  thee,  he  would 

no  longer  woo  the  rose. 
"  O    my   beautiful    girl,    my  beautiful    girl,    your 

hair  is  plaited  in  forty  tresses. 
"  You   wear  a  golden  comb  in  your  head  and  a 

silver  buckle  on  your  foot. 

"  You  tie  around  your  waist  a  shawl  of  a  thous- 
and colors. 
"  My  soul,  my  dear,  I  die  of  the  brand  of  love 

upon  my  heart. 
"  When   a  day  passes   without   sight   of   thee,    I 

ask   the   flying   birds. 


68  ,THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

"  Thou    hast    roasted    me    by    the  fire    of   thine 

eyes. 

"  I  was  a  bird  of  freedom ;  but  now  I  am  tang- 
led in  thy  net. 
"  O  let  the  bloom  of  beauty  remain  on  thy  face 

for     ever,    and    adorn    it     with     everlasting 

graces. 

"  The  rose  of  thy  face  has  many  black  moles. 
"  He  kisses  them   who   has   great  riches ;   but    I 

am  poor. 
"  The  tover  must   have   gold,  but  I  have    not   a 

grain    of  barley. 
"  I  amuse  myself  about  this  wonderful  ordination 

of  God  that  wicked  men  should   have   such 

beautiful  wives. 
"  I  wish    a    sheaf   of   love    arrows    would    strike 

your  heart  as  the  fire  that  spreads  a   gleam 

on  the  sea. 
"  Come,    maiden,    in    token    of   our  love,    throw 

thy  arms,    painted    with    henna,   around    my 

neck. 
"  In  the  evening,  if  you  do   not   call   for   me,  I 

shall  become  a  devil  for  the  whole  night." 


OF    ASIA.  69 

The   girl   dutifully   refers  him    to    her   mother. 

"  Thou  wishest  for  a  kiss. 

"  The  kiss  lies  behind  the  lips. 

"  My  mouth  is  locked; 

"  My  mother  has  the  key." 

The    following    is    a    more    familiar    quotation  : 

"  Sweet  maid,  if  thou  wouldst  charm  my  sight, 

"  And  bid  these  arms  thy  neck  infold, 

"  That  rosy  cheek,  that  lily  hand, 

"  Would  give  thy  poet  more  delight 

"  Than   all    Bokhara's   vaulted   gold, 

"  Than  all  the  gems  of  Samarcand." 

An    old    man    says  : 

•'  The  snows  of  age  descend  upon  my  head, 
"  Yet  from  my  gaiety  of  disposition  I  am  young." 

The   heaviest   curse   in   poetry   is  : 

"  May  you  milk  forty  cows, 
"  And  have  no  buttermilk 
"  To  quench  your  thirst." 


70  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

SHIRAZ. 

The    valley    of    Shiraz,     in    the    province    of 
Farsistan,    through    which    the   bright    waters   of 
the    Araxes    find   their    way   to   the   sea,    is   de- 
scribed  as   the   paradise   of  the   world. 
(By    the     wa/  ,     paradise    is    an    old    Persian 
word,    and   means   a   park,   or   beautiful  garden.) 

On  the  south  of  this  valley  the  great  range 
of  mountains  called  the  Hindu-Kush,  dividing 
India  from  Persia,  furnishes  game  for  the  hunter, 
and  sustenance  for  flocks  and  herds. 

On  the  mountains  to  the  north  a  ruined 
"  Temple  of  the  Sun "  bears  melancholy  evi- 
dence of  the  departed  grandeur  of  the  Parsee 
race.  The  base  of  this  temple  is  1,400  feet 
long,  by  900  feet  broad,  and  a  hundred  col- 
umns stand  as  sentinels  upon  the  watch  towers 
of  time, — the  ruined  pillars  of  Chilmanar. 

The  statuary  represents  the  mythology  of  a 
perished  race,  and  the  inscriptions  defy  the 
learning  of  to-day. 


OF    ASIA.  71 

The    poet   says  : 

"  The    spider   holds    the    veil   in    the    Palace    of 

Caesar, 
"  The    owl     stands     sentinel     upon     the    watch 

towers    of  Afrasiab. 

The  natural  rock  was  hewn  down  to  form 
the  platform  upon  which  the  "Temple  of  Fire" 

stood,    and   then   faced   around   with    masonry — 

• 

the  interior  space  or  courtyard  being  430  by 
310  feet. 

The  stairway  cut  in  the  solid  rock  for  as- 
cending to  the  altar,  is  so  regular  and  easy, 
that  an  army  of  horsemen  could  ride  to  its 
summit. 

The  entrance  is  guarded  by  sphynxes,  form- 
ing portals  to  the  sanctuary,  and  you  pass 
through  a  ghostly  avenue  of  statuary,  represent- 
ing goods,  men,  animals,  and  supernatural  beings. 

An  inscription  has  been  deciphered,  which  is 
translated  as  follows : 

"  Ormadz,  who  has  created  the  earth,  heaven, 


72  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

*'  and  men,  made  Xerxes  king  and  ruler  over 
"  many. 

"What  Xerxes  has  done  has  been  by  the 
grace  of  Ormadz." 

Zoroaster  is  represented  here  with  his  feet 
resting  upon  a  star,  and  his  head  encircled 
with  a  glory. 

An  arch  160  feet  high  and  80  feet  span, 
attests  the  architecture  of  the  age. 

"  Where  are  the  days,  thou  wondrous  sphere, 

"  When  Iran  like  a  sunflower  turned 

"  To  meet  that  eye  where'er  it  burned ; 

"  When  from  the  banks  of  Bendemeer 

"  To  the  nut  groves  of  Samarcand,  . 

"  The  temples  flamed  o'er  all  the  land? 

"  Where  are  they?     Ask  the  shades  of  them, 

"  Who  on  Cadessia's  bloody  plains 

"  Saw  fierce  invaders  pluck  the  gem 

"  From  Iran's  broken  diadem, 

"  And  bind  her  ancient  faith  in  chains." 

The  valley  is  loaded  with  the  golden  grain 
of  a  luxuriant  harvest ;  it  is  bright  with  ferti- 


OF    ASIA.  73 

lizing  streams  and  the  play  of  fountains.  The 
atmosphere  is  cooled  by  refreshing  showers  and 
perfumed  by  the  fragrance  of  flowers. 

The  highways  are  shaded  by  fruit  trees,  which 
furnish  the  traveler  with  the  most  luscious  apples, 
peaches,  grapes,  figs,  oranges,  dates  and  pome- 
granates. The  cedar-built  cottages  are  the 
abodes  of  industry  and  happiness.  The  spin- 
ning-wheel sings  under  the  busy  hand  of  the 
Parsee  maiden  as  the  shining  silk  unwinds  from 
the  soft  cocoon,  and  the  treadle  of  the  loom 
responds  to  the  pressure  of  dainty  feet  as  the 
silk-laden  shuttle  flies  from  side  to  side,  co- 
quetting with  the  rose-leaved  fingers.  * 

At  eventide  the  turtle  doves  coo  in  the  cy- 
press groves,  and  the  nightingale  pours  his 
liquid  note  of  love  into  the  ear  of  his  blush- 
ing mistress  the  rose. 

The  black-eyed  maids  of  Shiraz  come  out 
clad  in  gossamer  silk  (the  work  of  their  own 
hands),  wound  in  mysterious  folds  around  their 
polished  limbs. 

Their   jewelled    caps    sit    jauntily   upon    their 


74  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

heads,  and  their  necklaces  of  pearls  rival  the 
snowy  bosoms  upon  which  they  rest. 

Their  black  eyes,  powdered  with  surmah,  flash 
like  fire-flies  in  the  moonlight,  and  their  henna- 
tipped  fingers  are  as  dainty  as  rose  leaves. 

They  dance  to  the  music  of  the  lute,  keep- 
ing time  with  the  bells  on  their  golden  anklets ; 
whilst  the  young  Parsees  make  love  with  the 
intensity  of  the  Children  of  the  Sun,  warm 
with  the  wine  of  Shiraz,  and  sing  the  song  of 
Hafiz: 

"  Boys,  let  your  liquid  ruby  flow, 
"  And  bid  your  pensive  hearts  be  glad : 
«'*  Whate'er  the  frowning  zealots  say, 
'*  Tell  them  their  Eden  cannot  show 
"  A  stream  so  clear  as  Rocnabad, 

"  A  bower  so  sweet  as  Mosselay." 

CONCLUSION. 

I  hope  that  the  extracts  which  have  been 
given  will  convince  you  that  the  "  Sun  Wor- 
shippers of  Asia  "  are  worthy  of  a  higher  place 
in  your  estimation  than  mere  idolaters;  that 


OF   ASIA.  .         75 

they  are  the  followers  of  a  pure  and  sublime 
religion  which  deserves  respect  for  its  great  an- 
tiquity, and  for  the  persecutions  it  has  sur- 
vived. 

As  Christians,  we  venerate  the  Cross  as  the 
emblem  of  a  crucified  Saviour,  who  mediated 
with  his  life  as  an  atonement  for  sin. 

The  Parsees  worship  the  sun  as  the  bright- 
est creation  of  God,  as  the  emblem  of  His 
purity,  as  the  mirror  of  His  brightness,  as  the 
evidence  of  His  omnipotence,  as  the  majestic 
throne  around  which  illimitable  worlds  revolve 
in  their  orbit,  subject  to  His  will. 


7  6  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 


THE    RUINS  OF  PERSEPOLIS. 


Copied  by  permission,  from  "Remains  of  Lost  Empires," 

by  P.  V.  N.  MYERS,  A.  M., 
Published  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  1875. 


Far  eclipsing  all  other  memorials  of  the  past 
in  Persia  are  the  ruins  of  Persepolis,  whose 
stately  columns,  massive  propylaea,  gigantic  war- 
dens, and  cyclopean  stages  are  as  largely  res- 
ponsible for  the  lofty  conceptions  we  entertain 
of  Persia's  early  greatness  and  magnificence  as 
the  pompous  periods  and  gorgeous  pictures  of 
her  historians.  "Not  only  youthful  travelers, 
glowing  with  imagination,"  writes  Vaux,  "  but 
those  of  sober  judgment,  matured  by  the  expe- 
rience of  many  years,  seem,  as  they  approach 
these  venerable  monuments,  to  be  inspired  with 
the  genius  of  Eastern  romance,  and  their  res- 


OF    ASIA.  77 

pective  languages  scarcely  furnish  epithets  capa- 
ble of  expressing  with  an  adequate  energy  the 
astonishment  and  admiration  excited  by  such 
stupendous  objects." 

If  before  examining  these  antiquities  we  has- 
tily trace  a  slight  sketch  of  the  ancient  Persian 
Empire,  we  shall  find  that  the  same  will  be  of 
service  to  us  in  enabling  us  to  refer  the  diff- 
erent ruins  and  monuments  to  their  proper  place 
in  history;  and  thus  we  shall  proceed  to  our 
survey  of  these  remarkable  architectural  remains 
with  more  interest,  and  with  prospects  of  fuller 
instruction,  from  having  first  seen  at  what  time, 
under  what  influence,  and  by  what  ancient 
kings  they  had  their  birth. 

The  early  history  of  Persia,  with  true  fidel- 
ity to  the  genius  of  development  as  exhibited 
by  almost  every  nation,  is  embodied  in  the 
songs  of  her  poets  or  in  the  tales  of  her  fab- 
ulists. In  the  Rustem  of  her  bards  we  find 
the  Hercules  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans ;  and 
in  the  long  line  of  heroes  and  demigods  of 


78  THE   SUN    WORSHIPERS 

her  traditionists  we  discover  an  exact  reflection 
of  the  storied  mythologies  of  the  classical  writ- 
ers.* It  is  not  until  we  descend  to  the  sixth 
century  B.C.  that  we  find  ourselves  free  from 
the  mist  of  antiquity,  and  treading  on  sure 
historic  ground.  The  patient  industry  of  the 
investigators  of  the  cuneiform  records  of  Assy- 
ria has,  however,  thrown  a  few  rays  of  light 
through  the  obscurity  of  the  two  or  three  cen- 
turies preceding  that  date.  We  know  now  that 
as  late  as  the  ninth  century  B.C.  the  Persians 
were  broken  up  into  independent  tribes,  inca- 
pable of  acting  in  concert,  and  thus  offering  an 
easy  prey  to  the  Assyrian  kings,  who  overran 
the  country  and  exacted  tribute  from  the  sub- 
jected chieftains. t  With  just  this  glimpse  at  the 

*  The  great  historical  poem  of  Persia,  called  the  "  Shah 
Nameh,"  or  "  Book  of  Kings,"  written  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  tenth  century  A.D.,  by  Firdusi,  the  "Homer  of  Persia,"  is  a 
compilation  of  all  the  mythological,  traditional,  and  historical 
mem  orials  of  the  Persian  Empire,  from  the  earliest  times  to  the 
Mohammedan  conquest,  A.D.  636. 

•^  Rawlinson's  *'  Ancient  Monarchies,"  vol.   Hi.,   p.    365. 


OF   ASIA.  79 

condition  of  the  primitive  Persian  tribes,  we 
pass  over  three  centuries  to  find  them  consoli- 
dated into  a  state  or  monarchy,  and  Pasar- 
gadae,  not  far  from  the  later  capital,  Perse- 
polis,  the  abode  of  a  Persian  court.  B.C.  588, 
the  rising  Persian  power  came  in  contact  with 
the  Median  monarchy :  Persia  lost  her  king, 
and  Media  her  kingdom.  Cyrus  the  Great,  son 
of  the  fallen  Persian  monarch,  Cambyses,  be- 
came the  universal  master  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians ;  and  under  his  soldierly  genius  the 
vastest  empire  the  world  had  yet  seen  arose 
upon  the  ruins  of  the  Median  and  Babylonian 
monarchies  ;  for  scarcely  had  Media  fallen,  be- 
fore the  Babylonian  power  was  broken  into 
pieces,  and  her  sceptre  transferred  to  "Darius 
the  Mede,"  to  whom  was  delegated,  by  Cyrus, 
the  government  of  Babylon.  Thus  were  fulfilled 
the  high  purposes  of  heaven. 

While  leading  an  expedition  against  some 
Scythian  tribe — probably  the  Massagetae — Cyrus 
received  the  wound  that  in  a  few  days  termi- 


8o  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

nated  his  life.*  He  was  buried  at  Pasargadse, 
and  there  his  tomb  stands  to-day,  surrounded 
by  the  remains  of  the  magnificent  structures 
with  which  he  beautified  that  city.  And  it  is 
to  this  Cyrus,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  that 
we  must  ascribe  some  of  the  most  interesting 
and  important  of  the  Persepolitan  ruins. 

It  is  not  needful,  for  our  purpose,  that  we 
follow  in  any  way  closely  the  succeeding  bril- 
liant periods  of  the  empire.  Under  Cambyses, 
we  see  her  leading  her  troops  along  the  Upper 
Nile;  and  but  a  little  later,  under  Xerxes,  re- 
viewing her  fleets  upon  the  shores  of  the  Hel- 
lespont. The  East  for  the  first  time  presumes 
to  measure  her  strength  with  the  West.  The 
insult  is  not  forgotten.  At  the  battle  of  the 
Issus,  Alexander  strikes  the  blow  that  at  once 

*  Although  we  have  accepted  that  version  of  the  death  of 
Cyrus  which  seems  the  most  probable  after  a  comparison  of 
authorities,  still  we  admit  that  there  is  a  very  great  discrep- 
ancy upon  this  point  among  the  early  writers:  "Herodotus 
and  Justin,  as  well  as  Diodorus  Siculus,  state  that  he  was 
taken  prisoner  and  put  to  death  by  Tomyris,  queen  of  the 


OF    ASIA.  8 1 

avenges  Greece  and  shatters  the  whole  fabric  of 
the  Persian  Empire.  The  battle  of  Arbela 
quickly  succeeds ;  the  gates  of  Babylon  open  to 
him  of  their  own  accord ;  Persepolis  is  scarcely 
taken  before  its  splendid  palaces  are  heaps  of 
ruins ;  at  Parsargadae  even  the  sanctity  of  the 
tomb  is  violated,  and  within  the  sepulchre, 
basely  opened,  Alexander  reads  this  inscription: 
"  O  man,  whoever  thou  art,  and  whencesoever 
thou  comest,  I  am  Cyrus,  the  founder  of  the 
Persian  Empire ;  envy  me  not  the  little  earth 
that  covers  my  body."  (Vaux's  "  Nineveh  and 
Persepolis,"  p.  99.)  And  thus  meet  the  founder 
and  the  destroyer  of  one  of  the  most  magni- 
ficent empires  the  world  had  ever  seen. 

Alexander    soon    afterward    dies    at    Babylon. 
Persia   for   fifty    years    forms    a   portion    of    the 

Massagetae.  Ctesias  says  he  was  slain  by  the  javelin  of  an 
Indian,  while  making  war  on  the  dervises  of  that  country  j 
but  Xenophon  informs  us  that  he  died  in  his  bed,  after  de- 
livering an  edifying  address  to  his  two  sons,  and  was  buried 
at  Pasargadae,  in  the  year  B.C.  52,9." — Eraser's  "Persia,"  chap, 
iii. 


82  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

dominion  of  the  Seleucidae.  Then  the  Parthians 
wrest  the  province  from  them,  and  for  five 
hundred  years  maintain  in  Persia  the  Parthian 
monarchy.  A.D.  266  the  authority  reverts  to  a 
line  of  native  princes  :  the  Sassanian  dynasty  is 
founded;  and  though  the  rule  of  these  kings 
is  at  first  vigorous,  it  gradually  becomes  weak 
and  inefficient,  and  offers  but  feeble  resistance 
to  the  impetuous  outbreak  of  the  tribes  of 
Arabia.  The  conquest  by  the  Arabs  is  fol- 
lowed by  that  of  the  Turks ;  and  then  again 
at  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  the 
Persian  line  is  restored,  and  the  Saffanean  dy- 
nasty established.  To-day  it  is  one  of"  the 
weakest  and  most  despicable  governments  on 
the  face  of  the  earth,  and  its  conceited  Shah- 
in-Shaw,  or  King  of  Kings,  the  puppet-show  of 
Europe. 

The  antiquities  to  which  we  shall  now  direct 
our  attention  will  be  seen  to  belong  entirely  to 
the  earliest  and  most  brilliant  period  of  Persia's 
history — to  the  reigns  of  Cyrus,  Darius,  and 
Xerxes.  And  thus  these  monuments  are  in- 


OF    ASIA.  83 

vested  with  all  the  interest  of  a  hoary  antiquity, 
scarcely  yielding  in  this  respect  to  the  remains 
of  Assyria  and  Babylonia. 

The  ruins  of  Persepolis,  as  they  have  come 
to  be  called,  lie  about  forty  miles  in  a  north- 
erly direction  from  Shiraz,  on  the  eastern  edge 
of  the  extensive  plain  of  Merdasht.  When  we 
saw  this  plain,  in  early  spring,  portions  were 
beautifully  green  with  irrigated  fields ;  but  the 
larger  part  lay  waste  and  barren,  presenting  a 
very  different  aspect  from  what  it  did  when 
the  Persian  kings,  from  the  elevated  terraces 
of  their  palaces,  overlooked  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  carefully  kept  valleys  in  the  world. 
Low,  gray,  sunburnt  hills,  thrice  as  barren  and 
forbidding  as  ever  Virgil  imagined  the  IthacSean 
rocks,  hem  in  the  plain  on  all  sides,  and  in- 
stead of  heightening  by  contrast,  as  formerly? 
the  beauty  of  the  emerald  valley,  now  intensify 
its  repulsive  desolation. 

The   ruins,    as  we  have   already   said,    lie   jus 
at    the   foot   of    the  hills    that   border   the    plain 
on  the  east.    Although  these  remains  are  usuall  y 


84  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

spoken  of  as  the  "Ruins  of  Persepolis,"  they 
are  not  the  remains  of  that  capital — few  traces 
of  which  are  existing — but  are  the  ruins  of  the 
great  palaces,  which  were  situated  a  consider- 
able distance  from  the  city.  The  entire  group 
is  called  by  the  natives,  "  Chehl  Minar"  (forty 
columns),  or  "  Tukhti  Jemshid "  ( Jemshid's 
throne ).  Almost  every  thing  of  a  wonderful 
nature  in  Persia  is  attributed  by  the  natives  to 
this  fabulous  character;  just  as  Hercules  among 
the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  Semiramis  among 
the  Babylonians,  were  the  names  about  which 
gathered  all  the  wonderful  tales  from  every 
source;  and  just  as  Nimrod  or  Solomon  with 
the  Arabs  to-day  has  the  credit  of  every  thing 
rerrtarkable  to  be  found  in  Assyria  or  Babylonia. 
The  first  palace  built  at  Persepolis  was 
founded  by  Cyrus  the  Great;  others  were  raised 
by  succeeding  kings,  especially  by  Darius,  Xer- 
xes, and  Artaxerxes  Ochus.  The  mass  of  build- 
ings was  destroyed,  at  least  partially,  upon  the 
overthrow  of  the  empire  by  the  Macedonian ; 
and,  indeed,  Alexander  himself  is  said  to  have 


OF    ASIA.  85 

fired  the  edifices  during  a   "  drunken  frolic,  and 
at   the   instigation    of  a   courtesan."* 

As  at  Baalbec,  it  is  the  massive  substructions 
upon  which  the  buildings  stood  that  constitute 
one  of  the  most  imposing  features  of  the  re- 
mains. This  immense  platform  is  fifteen  hun- 
dred feet  in  length,  and  nine  hundred  and 
thirty-six  feet  in  width;  as  the  ground  slopes 
slightly  from  the  hill  toward  the  plain,  the  plat- 
form is  supported  by  walls  upon  three  sides 
only,  the  fourth  abutting  upon  the  hills  that 
overhung  the  palace.  The  platform  is  composed 
of  three  terraces,  the  central  being  by  far  the 
longest  and  highest,  presenting  to  the  plain  an 
imposing  and  massive  front  seven  hundred  and 

"*The  name  of  Thais  at  least  has  as  sure  a  place  in  history 
as  that  of  Herostratus,  the  ambitious  youth  who  thought  to 
immortalize  himself  by  firing  the  temple  of  Diana,  at  Ephe- 
sus.  According  to  Plutarch,  as  quoted  by  Fraser,  the  palace, 
though  greatly  damaged  by  the  fire  kindled  by  Alexander,  was 
in  existence  as  late  as  the  reign  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes. 
Some  accounts  attribute  the  final  destruction  of  Persepolis  and 
its  palaces  to  the  Moslem  iconoclasts. 


86  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

seventy   feet   in   length,    and   over    forty   feet    in 
height. 

This  gigantic  platform  is  the  most  r£mark- 
able  work  of  its  nature  in  the  world,  far  ex- 
ceeding in  its  dimensions  the  famous  substruc- 
tions of  the  temple  of  the  Sun  at  Baalbec. 
The  Syrian  platform,  however,  surpasses  the 
Persepolitan  in  the  size  of  the  stones  used  in 
its  construction.  There  are,  however,  blocks  of 
sufficiently  gigantic  dimensions  occurring  in  the 
supporting  walls  of  the  Persepolitan  stage.  We 
measured  one,  in  the  wall  of  the  southern  ter- 
race, which  gave  a  length  of  twenty-seven  feet 
and  a  width  of  seven.  The  entire  face  of  this 
block  was  covered  with  cuneiform  inscriptions. 
There  were  many  other  stones  near  the  one 
measured  of  nearly  equally  gigantic  dimensions. 
These  massive  blocks  give  the  walls  a  strength 
and  solidity  that  insure  to  them  a  perpetuity 
as  lasting  as  the  surrounding  hills.  We  have 
already,  in  connection  with  our  description  of 
the  great  palace-mound  at  Nineveh,  alluded  to 
the  purposes  subserved  by  the  enormous  mounds, 


OF    ASIA.  87 

stages,  terraces,  or  platforms,  which  we  now  find 
loaded  with  the  debris  of  the  Assyrian,  Baby- 
lonian,- and  Persian  palaces.  The  fact  that  the 
Persepolitan  platform  that  supported  the  Persian 
royal  residences  was  constructed  of  stone,  and 
has  thus  been  able  to  preserve  through  so  many 
centuries  its  prominent  features,  especially  its 
wonderful  stairways,  unimpaired  by  the  wear  of 
time,  is  what  adds  greatly  to  the  interest  that 
attaches  itself  to  this  stupendous  monument  of 
the  world's  ancient  builders. 

The  Surface  of  the  platform  is  reached  from 
the  front  by  means  of  a  grand  staircase  over 
twenty  feet  in  width,  consisting  of  two  flights 
of  broad  stone  steps  :  each  step  is  so  low  and 
wide  that,  encouraged  by  the  assurance  of 
worthy  predecessors  and  the  example  of  our 
guide,  we  mounted  on  horseback,  and  with  such 
ease  that  it  would  be  an  exaggeration  to  call 
it  any  kind  of  a  feat.  Both  Niebuhr  and  Fer- 
gusson  unite  in  pronouncing  this  stairway  the 
finest  work  of  the  kind  that  the  ancient  or 
even  modern  world  can  show.  As  if  depend- 


THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

ing  on  its  grand  proportions  for  admiration,  it 
is  entirely  free  from  sculptures  or  ornamenta- 
tion of  any  kind ;  while  the  smaller  staircases 
that  lead  from  the  northern  "and  southern  ter- 
races to  the  central  one,  are  most  profusely 
decorated  with  sculptural  designs  and  figures. 
The  effect  of  the  stern,  stately  simplicity  which 
the  broad  sweep  of  steps  imparts  would  be  in- 
jured were  the  eye  allowed  to  be  led  off  in 
the  survey  of  any  thing  subordinate  and  simply 
sculpturesque. 

Ascending  this  stairway,  we  found  ourselves 
upon  the  northern  terrace,  confronted  by  two 
colossal  bulls,  wardens  of  the  ancient  palace. 
In  their  gigantic  dimensions  they  seem  to  be- 
long to  Egypt,*  but  in  conception  and  execution 

*  Thati  Persian  art  felt  the  influence  of  Egyptian,  scarcely 
admits  of  doubt.  Nebuchadnezzar  spoiled  Egypt,  and  one-fourth 
century  after,  Cyrus  sacked  Babylon.  Cambyses  rifled  the  hun- 
dred-gated Thebes,  and  bore  away  many  trophies  into  Persia. 
Through  these  mediate  andx  direct  contacts  with  the  Egyp- 
tians, the  Persian  artists  must  have  received  many  suggestions 
which  had  much  to  do  in  giving  character  to  Persepolitan 
architecture. 


OF    ASIA.  89 

to  Assyria.  Th£se  colossal  figures  flanked  an 
imposing  propylaeum,  twelve  feet  wide  and  over 
thirty  high.  About  one  hundred  feet  from  the 
first  gateway  is  a  second  of  equal  dimensions, 
likewise  flanked  by  two  bulls  looking  toward 
the  hills.  These  differ  from  those  facing  the 
plain  in  being  represented  with  wings  and  the 
human  face  divine.  These  grand  propylaea  form- 
ed the  appropriate  portals  to  a  magnificent  hall, 
of  which  only  two  stately  fluted  pillars,  sixty 
feet  high,  ornamented  with  curious  and  elab- 
orate capitals,  that  constitute  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  height  of  the  column,  are  left  to 
enable  us  to  judge  of  the  nature  of  the  struc- 
ture. The  excessively  elongated  capital  forms 
one  of  the  most  peculiar  features  of  the  archi- 
tecture of  the  Achaemean  kings.  "  It  may  have 
contented  them,"  writes  Loftus,  "to  borrow  in- 
discriminatively  from  all  [nations],  so  that  each 
of  the  hundred  columns  surrounding  their  throne 
might  bear  upon  its  fluted  shaft  the  lotus,  the 
palm,  and  the  bull,  and  symbolize  the  glories 
which  the  victorious  arms  of  the  Persians  had 


90  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

gathered  upon  the  battle-fields  of  Egypt,  Assy- 
ria, Greece  and  Babylonia." 

But  although,  save  the  pillars  mentioned,  the 
hall  to  which  the  propylaea  gave  entrance  has 
almost  entirely  disappeared,  and  time  has  swept 
away  the  greater  portion  of  the  palaces  them- 
selves, whose  last  master  passed  out  through 
these  portals  more  than  twenty  centuries  ago, 
and  has  thrown  down  the  architrave  of  the 
propylaea,  and  left  many  a  defacing  mark  on 
the  giant  wardens  themselves,  yet,  time-worn 
and  scarred,  they  still  sentinel  the  surrounding 
desolation,  and,  if  spared  from  iconoclastic  hands, 
will  be  for  many  centuries  to  come  the  worthy 
guardians  of  the  ruins  of  the  palaces  of  the 
Persian  kings. 

It  is  a  somewhat  ludicrous  anachronism  to 
find  these  ancient  propylaea  and  bulls,  besides 
bearing  cuneiform  inscriptions,  covered  all  over 
with  English  initials.  By  and  by,  after  the  Eng- 
lish has  become  a  dead  language,  some  curious 
antiquarian  will  have  a  real  time  determining 
whether  it  were  Cyrus,  Darius,  and  Xerxes,  or 


OF    ASIA.  91 

Rich,  Malcolm,  and  MacDonnald  who  set  up 
these  winged  bulls.  Perhaps  Stanley,  too,  in 
those  distant  times,  will  be  honored,  not  only 
as  the  discoverer  of  Livingstone,  but  also  as 
founder  of  the  Persepolitan  palace :  "  STANLEY, 
NEW  YORK  HERALD,"  being  engraved  between 
the  legs  of  one  of  the  colossal  bulls  in  letters 
as  bold  as  the  Ujiji  expedition. 

Besides  the  propylaea  and  the  ruined  hall  to 
which  they  led,  there  are  no  remains  of  im- 
portance on  the  northern  terrace.  So,  these 
examined,  we  ascend  the  stairway  that  leads  to 
the  great  central  terrace  which  supports  the 
grandest  fragments  of  buildings  that  are  found 
on  the  platform.  This  staircase  is  elaborately 
ornamented  with  sculptures,  representing  trium- 
phal processions,  where  conqueror  and  captive, 
crowned  king  and  long-robed  priest,  warriors 
armed  with  lance  and  shield,  bow  and  quiver, 
and  chariots  drawn  by  led  horses,  march  along 
in  stone  with  us  to  the  "Hall  of  Xerxes," 
the  audience-chamber,  or  throne-room,  of  the 
Great  King.  Thirteen  lofty  columns,  that  rise 


92  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

up  grandly  to  a  height  of  sixty  feet,  are  the 
principal  remains  of  the  magnificent  pillared 
hall, ,  the  grandest  and  most  stately  audience- 
chamber  that  Eastern  monarch  ever  sat  beneath 
to  hear  and  judge  the  matters  of  his  subjects. 
The  bases  of  many  of  the  columns  that  have 
fallen  are  still  in  place,  and  thus  antiquarians 
have  been  able  to  restore  at  least  the  promi- 
nent features  of  the  edifice.  The  hall  proper 
consisted  of  a  group  of  thirty-six  columns,  each 
rising  to  the  great  height  of  sixty-four  feet. 
Three  pillared  porticoes  inclosed  this  central 
group  on  three  sides,  at  a  distance  of  seventy 
feet,  thus  making  the  dimensions  of  the  struct- 
ure 350  feet  in  length  and  246  feet  in  breadth. 
The  main  cluster  of  pillars,  like  each  of  the 
porticoes,  supported  a  roof.  Fergusson  thinks 
that  the  edifice  was  still  further  protected  by 
walls  of  inferior  construction,  which  time  may 
have  removed.  But  Rawlinson  supposes  the 
structure  to  have  been  a  "summer  throne-room, 
open  to  all  the  winds  of  heaven,  except  so  far 
as  it  was  protected  by  curtains." 


OF 


Besides  this  hall  of  Xerxes,  there  was  another 
of  similar  construction  standing  upon  the  same 
terrace,  and  called  the  "  Hall  of  a  Hundred 
Columns."  It  consisted  of  a  square  of  one 
hundred  pillars,  fronted  by  a  deep  portico. 
Every  column  has  been  thrown  down,  but  mas- 
sive doorways  and  monolithic  window-frames  of 
black  polished  marble  render  it  easy  to  trace 
the  lines  of  the  inclosing  walls  ;  for,  unlike  the 
hall  of  Xerxes,  the  phalanx  of  pillars  was  here 
surrounded  by  thick  walls.  This  structure,  though 
it  must  have  been  sufficiently  magnificent,  was 
never  so  imposing  as  the  lofty  audience-hall  of 
Xerxes,  as  the  columns  of  the  central  cluster 
and  porch  were  only  a  trifle  over  half  the 
height  of  those  of  that  stately  edifice.  It  was 
doubtless  used  by  the  earlier  Persian  kings  for 
the  same  purposes  for  which  the  later  monarch  s 
employed  the  hall  of  Xerxes. 

The  originality  of  conception  and  boldness  of 
execution  displayed  by  the  Persian  architect  in 
these  stately  "  halls  of  audience,"  will  have  been 
remarked.  There  is  nothing  in  the  architecture 


94  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

of  any  other  people  with  which  we  may  com- 
pare them,  unless  we  except  the  audience-halls 
of  the  great  Mogul  sovereigns  of  India.  But 
the  one  that  formed  an  adjunct  of  the  palace 
at  Delhi,  while  beautiful  and  sumptous  as  to 
its  ornamentation,  in  stern  grandeur  and  bold 
stateliness  falls  far  behind  the  Persepolitan  edi- 
fices. Considering  the  early  age  in  which  they 
had  their  birth,  they  cannot  fail  to  excite  alike 
our  astonishment  and  admiration. 

From  a  description  of  these  public  structures 
we  now  pass  to  the  residences  of  the  Persian 
kings.  There  are  the  remains  of  four  palatial 
edifices  lying  upon  the  platform.  These  have 
been  identified  as  the  royal  residences  of  Cyrus 
or  Cambyses,  Darius,  Xerxes,  and  Artaxerxes 
Ochus.  The  remains  of  the  first  are  scanty, 
as  much  of  the  material  was  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  later  palaces.  There  are,  how- 
ever, enough  blocks  left  to  render  it  possible 
to  trace  a  hall  and  portico  that  indicate  a 
structure  small  in  dimensions  compared  with  the 
palaces  of  the  last  two  sovereigns.  The  ruins 


OF    ASIA.  95 

of  the  Palace  of  Darius  lie  near  those  of  the 
great  audience-hall  already  described.  These 
remains  consist  principally  of  massive  portals 
and  windows  ;  the  jambs  of  the  door- ways  and 
the  entire  window-frames  being  monolithic.* 
The  jambs  of  the  doors  are  adorned  with 
sculptures,  a  tiresome  repetition  being  main- 
tained :  the  constantly  recurring  figures  are  those 
of  the  king,  accompanied  by  two  attendants, 
one  holding  a  sun-shade,  and  the  other  a  brush 
for  driving  away  flies — from  which  we  may  in- 
fer what  were  some  of  the  annoyances  of  life 
in  a  Persian  palace ;  or  the  royal  personage  is 
represented  as  engaged  in  combat  with  a  horned 
monster,  which  he  seizes  by  the  horn  with  his 

*  This  is  simply  another  instance  of  the  direction  taken  by 
the  pride  or  ambition,  rather  than  the  taste,  of  the  ancient 
builders  of  the  world.  It  was  the  style  to  cut  and  place  gigan- 
tic blocks  of  stone  because  they  witnessed  to  the  power  and 
resources  of  the  sovereign.  It  was  this  pride  which  raised  the 
vast  obelisks  of  Egypt,  that  hoisted  to  their  places  the  huge 
blocks  that  form  the  substructions  at  Baalbec,  that  cut  and  pol- 
ished the  Persepolitan  monoliths. 


96  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

left  hand,  while  with  his  right  he  plunges  a 
dagger  into  the  body  of  the  rampant  beast 
This  figure  is  thought  by  Ravenshaw  to  be 
entirely  symbolical,  "indicating  the  sun  passing 
through  or  conquering  the  signs  of  the  zodiac." 
In  confirmation  of  this  view  he  quotes  Dupuis 
to  the  effect  that  "the  twelve  labors  of  Her- 
cules were  in  like  manner  myths,  founded  on 
the  annual  labors  of  the  sun.*'*  The  remains 
of  the  Palace  of  Xerxes  repeat  the  features  of 
the  preceding  one ;  while  the  royal  residence 
of  Artaxerxes  Ochus  is  represented  by  scanty 
fragments  of  walls  and  columns. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  Assyrian  palaces,  there 
is  a  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  existence 
of  a  second  story  in  the  Persepolitan  royal 
residences.  Fergusson,  who  always  seems  to  be 
inclined  toward  the  side  of  grandeur,  supports, 
without  much  apparent  evidence,  the  theory  that 
would  give  the  palaces  all  the  imposing  effect 

*  "Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,"  vol.  xvi,  art.  vii, 
p.  109. 


OF    ASIA.  97 

to  be  gained  by  a  second  story ;  but  Rawlin- 
son  rejects  this  view,  as  no  staircases  nor  other 
evidences  of  such  a  plan  of  construction  have 
been  discovered.  The  buildings,  if  but  one- 
storied,  must  have  presented  a  somewhat  low 
and  massive  appearance,  which  would,  however, 
be  in  part  counteracted  by  their  commanding 
position  upon  the  terraces.  The  chambers  and 
different  apartments,  we  may  infer,  had  the 
gloom  consequent  upon  such  a  massive  style  of 
construction,  relieved  by  all  those  sumptuous 
decorations  and  luxurious  arrangements  that  are 
the  invariable  adjuncts  of  royal  residences  in 
the  East. 

The  gradual  growth  of  the  successive  Perse- 
politan  palaces  has  been  remarked  by  different 
writers.  From  the  comparatively  small  structure 
which  we  may  without  much  hesitation  attribute 
to  Cyrus  the  Great,  we  advance  to  the  exten- 
sive palace  of  Artaxerxes  Ochus,  which  equaled 
in  size  the  famous  palace  of  the  Assyrian  Sar- 
gon.  But  we  think  that  Rawlinson  is  the  first 
to  call  attention  to  the  change  that  may  be 


90  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

\ 

observed  in  the  tone  of  the  ornamentation  of 
the  earlier  and  later  palaces.  The  sculptures 
that  adorn  the  residences  of  the  first  kings, 
Cyrus  and  Darius,  represent  the  royal  person 
engaged  in  bold  and  manly  combat  with  lions 
or  other  monsters;  while  in  the  halls  and  cham- 
bers of  the  palace  of  Xerxes  we  see  that  these 
give  place  to  representations  of  servants  bearing 
articles  of  luxury  intended  for  royal  use.  "A 
tone  of  mere  sensual  enjoyment  is  thus  given 
to  the  later  edifice  which  is  very  far  from 
characterizing  the  earlier ;  and  the  decline  at 
the  court,  which  history  indicates  as  rapid  about 
this  period,  is  seen  to  have  stamped  itself,  as 
such  changes  usually  do,  upon  the  national 
architecture."* 

At  Persepolis  "it  is  but  a  step  from  the 
palace  to  the  tomb."  Directly  back  of  the  ruins, 
in  the  face  of  the  rock  that  overhangs  the 
great  platform,  is  an  artificial  recess,  sunk  just 
deep  enough  to  protect  a  beautiful  richly  sculp- 

*  Rawlinson's  "Ancient  Monarchies,"  vol.   iii.,  p.   2,93. 


OF    ASIA.  99 

tured  fagade.  The  elaborately  carved  rock  re- 
calls the  sculpturesque  fronts  of  Petra.  This 
is  one  of  the  famous  rock-tombs  of  the  Per- 
sian kings.  Prominent  among  the  multitude  of 
figures  that  adorn  the  tomb  is  a  robed  per- 
sonage, doubtless  intended  to  represent  the  sov- 
ereign himself,  in  the  position  of  adoration  be- 
fore a  fire-altar  and  a  globe,  symbolizing  the 
sun,  the  chief  object  emblematic  of  the  deity 
worshiped  by  these  Magian  kings.  *  Thus  here, 
as  is  always  the  case,  religion  and  -the  sepulchre 
are  intimately  connected.  A  low  door,  toward 
the  base  of  the  fagade,  gives  entrance  to  a 
small  vaulted  chamber,  containing  niches  for  the 
reception  of  the  bodies.  There  are  seven  of 


*  Zoroasterism,  or  the  worship  of  fire,  is  simply  a  corruption 
of  the  earlier  Chaldaean  Sabianism — the  adoration  of  the  "  hosts 
of  heaven."  The  Ghebers  and  Parsees  of  the  present  day  still 
hold  the  doctrines  and  customs  of  their  ancestors  with  little 
change.  They  worship  the  element  fire  only  as  the  most  per- 
fect type  or  symbol  or  the  Supreme  Deity.  They  esteem  it  ir- 
reverent to  extinguish  a  flame.  We  once  asked  a  Parsee  if 
when  a  candle  or  lamp  was  lighted  it  must  be  allowed  to  burn 
till  it  consumed  itself?  "  No,"  said  he,  "  for  though  it  may  not 
be  extinguished,  still  the  tip  of  the  candle  or  wick  may  be  cut 


100  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

these  rock-hewn  tombs  in  the  face  of  the  hills 
about  Persepolis ;  but  only  one  has  any  inscrip- 
tion, and  that  has  been  identified  as  the  sep- 
ulchre of  Darius  Hystaspis. 

Nearly  two  miles  north  of  the  group  of  ruins 
we  have  been  describing,  a  broad  valley  leads 
the  inconsiderable  stream  of  the  Pulwar  through 
the  hills  that  form  the  eastern  border  of  the 
plain  of  Merdasht.  Just  at  the  opening  of  this 
valley  stood  the  capital  of  the  later  Persian 
Empire — Istakr,  as  known  in  the  language  of 
the  country,  but  which,  through  the  Greeks, 
has  passed  into  history  under  the  name  of  Per- 
sepolis, or  "City  of  the  Persians."  The  ruins 

off  and" — "Thrown  into  the  fire,"  suggested  we.  "No," 
continued  he,  "placed  carefully  in  the  fire."  Yet  their  practical 
view  of  things  sometimes  gets  the  better  of  their  veneration,  as 
when  the  "fiend"  is  consuming  their  property.  In  India  they 
have  been  known  to  work  energetically  in  extinguishing  con- 
flagrations. Great  numbers  of  the  Ghebers  have  been  driven  by 
Moslem  persecution  into  India,  where  they  are  known  as  Par- 
sees.  We  found  some  in  the  Vale  of  Cashmere.  More  than 
the  Japanese,  they  merit  the  distinction  of  being  called  the 
"  Yankees  of  Asia."  They  appear  more  like  Europeans  than 
Asiatics  j  are  enterprising,  intelligent  and  progressive. 


OF    ASIA.  IOI 

we  have  already  examined  may  be  considered 
as  the  relics  of  the  royal  suburb  of  the  capital. 
The  remains  marking  the  site  of  the  city  proper 
are  scanty  and  unimportant  compared  with  those 
that  cover  the  great  stage.  Of  the  palace  that 
stood  within  the  city  nothing  remains  save  a 
solitary  column  and  some  fragments  of  walls  and 
massive  doorways  which  preserve  the  ancient  site. 
The  most  interesting  ruin  here,  however,  is 
a  heap  of  enormous  blocks,  that  is  supposed 
by  some  to  mark  the  position  of  one  of  the 
city  gates,  but  which  Rawlinson  suggests  may 
be  the  remains  of  a  "  fortified  gate,"  similar  to 
the  Pylse  Ciliciae,  or  the  Pylse  Syriae,  described 
by  Xenophon  in  the  Anabasis — intended  to  close 
the  valley  against  the  passage  of  a  hostile 
army.  We  do  not  know  that  we  have  any 
authority  for  saying,  yet  we  suppose  that  the 
ancient  custom  of  fortifying  with  walls  and  heavy 
gates  narrow  valleys  that  formed  the  natural 
pathway  through  mountainous  countries,  is  what 
leads  us  often  to  speak  of  difficult  passes  as 
"  mountain  gates." 


102  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

In  the  face  of  the  rocks  that  form  the  north- 
ern wall  of  the  Pulwar  valley,  are  four  tombs, 
similar  to  the  one  above  the  great  palace  plat- 
form. Beneath  those  royal  sepulchres  are  nu- 
merous tablets  of  a  comparatively  recent  date, 
most  of  which  are  the  work  of  the  Assacidan 
(Parthian)  and  Sassanian  kings,  who  ruled  Per- 
sia during  the  first  centuries  of  our  era.  We 
shall  not  attempt  to  give  any  description  of 
these  sculptures,  as  they  are  very  similar  to  the 
rock-tablets  of  Shapur,  of  which  we  have  given 
a  brief  account  in  another  chapter. 

Standing  near  the  base  of  the  cliffs  that  con- 
tain these  tablets  is  a  solitary  tower,  about 
twenty  feet  square  and  thirty  or  forty  feet  in 
height,  solidly  constructed  of  immense  stones. 
A  doorway  fifteen  feet  above  the  ground  gives 
access  to  a  single  lofty  chamber,  roofed  by 
massive  marble  beams,  six  feet  in  width  and 
twenty-four  in  length.  In  external  appearance 
the  structure  resembles  the  tower-tombs  of  Pal- 
myra, save  in  the  cyclopean  nature  of  its  mason- 
ry. Morier  believes  it  to  be  a  fire-temple,  or 


OF    ASIA.  103 

more  properly,  a  fire-altar,  of  the  earlier  Ma- 
gians. 

We  have  now  glanced  at  the  most  important 
of  the  Persepolitan  remains.  We  have  not  at- 
tempted a  minute  delineation  of  the  various 
ruins,  but  have  simply  aimed  to  give  a  general 
yet  accurate  description  of  their  most  prominent 
and  interesting  features.  These  ruins  give  us 
almost  all  the  knowledge  we  possess  respecting 
the  architecture  of  the  ancient  Persians.  The 
remains  at  Pasargadae,*  the  capital  of  the  earlier 
kings,  and  also  those  at  Susa,  on  the  Susia- 
nian  plains,  are  insignificant  compared  with 
those  that  mark  the  site  of  the  Persepolitan 
palaces. 

Keppel,  in  speaking  of  the  Turks,  observes 
that  a  people  who  never  look  back  to  their  an- 
cestors will  never  look  forward  to  their  pos- 

"*  The  tomb  of  Cyrus  the  Great,  which  stands  at  Pasargadae, 
is  the  most  interesting  structure  existing  on  that  ancient  site. 
For  full  descriptions  of  this  tomb,  and  the  other  remains  at  Pas- 
argadae and  Susa,  see  Loftus,  "  Chaldas  and  Susiana;"  Rawlin- 
son,  "  Ancient  Monarchies  5"  and  Ker  Porter,  "  Travels." 


104  THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS 

terity.  Persia  to-day  witnesses  the  truth  of  this 
reflection.  She  has  no  care,  nor  even  curiosity, 
respecting  the  memorials  of  her  former  grand- 
eur; and  probably  there  is  no  nation  in  this 
broad  world  more  forgetful  of  the  claims  of 
posterity.  But  fortunately  the  monuments  of  her 
golden  days  are  of  such  a  nature  that  they  find 
protection  in  their  own  cyclopean  strength.  As 
long  as  the  monuments  of  Egypt  overlook  the 
Nile,  so  long  will  the  giant  wardens  of  the 
Persian  palaces  look  out  over  the  plains  of  Iran, 
and  tell  to  wondering  centuries  the  story  of  the 
magnificence  that  they  witnessed  so  long  ago. 


OF    ASIA.  105 

Par'-sees  \_fer.  parsi~]  is  the  name  generally  given  to  the 
modern  followers  of  Zoroaster.  When,  in  65  i  A.  D.,  the  last  of 
the  Sassanides,  Yezdezird,  was  defeated  by  the  caliph  Omar  in  the 
battle  of  Nahavand,  and  Persia  was  conquered  and  subjugated  by 
the  Arabs,  the  whole  population  was  converted  to  Islam.  Only 
a  small  number  of  the  Persians  continued  to  cling  to  the  national 
faith,  and  these  were  subjected  to  severe  persecutions.  The  Mo- 
hammedans called  them  Guebres,  "infidels,"  and  allowed  them 
to  settle  only  in  the  poorest  districts  of  the  country,  around  Yezd 
and  Kirman.  Most  of  them,  however,  emigrated  to  the  West- 
ern coast  of  India,  and  settled  at  Bombay,  Surat,  Nawsario,  Ah- 
medabad,  etc.  Those  remaining  in  Persia  were  hard  pressed  ; 
they  decreased  in  numbers,  and  sank  into  poverty.  At  present 
they  number  only  about  7,000,  but  they  are  much  respected  by 
the  Europeans,  on  account  of  their  honesty  and  reliability. 
Those,  on  the  contrary,  who  went  to  India,  prospered  much, 
though  at  one  time  they  too  were  exposed  to  persecutions  by  the 
Mohammedans.  They  are  said  to  number  at  present  from  150,- 
oo  3  to  200,000,  and  many  of  the  wealthiest  merchants  of  Bom- 
bay belong  to  their  denomination.  In  India,  however,  their 
religion  became  mixed  up  with  Hindoo  ideas  and  practices,  which 
at  present  has  occasioned  a  schism,  and  the  establishment  of  a  re- 
form association.  Their  morals  underwent  less  change;  they  are 
still  highly  respected  and  feel  well— disposed  towards  European 
civilization.  (For  their  doctrines  and  tenets,  see  the  articles 
"Zend-Avesta,"  and  "  Zoroaster.") — Johnson's  Netv  Universal 
Cyclopaedia. 

Zoroa'ster  [the  corrupt  Greek  and  Latin  version  of  the  old 
Persian  name  Zarathustra,  which  the  later  Persians  altered  to 
Zerdusht],  the  founder  of  the  ancient  Persian  religion.  His  fam- 


io6 


THE    SUN    WORSHIPERS    OF    ASIA. 


ily  name  was  Spitama,  and  Zarathustra  seems  to  have  been  a 
title,  meaning  (l  chief,"  "  senior/'  or  "  high  priest."  He  was 
born  in  Bactria  ;  his  father's  name  was  Pourushaspa,  and  he  had 
a  daughter  by  the  name  of  Pouruchista.  But  this  is  all  that  is 
known  of  his  personal  life.  What  the  old  Persian  or  Greek 
authors  tell  about  him  is  mere  myth  5  even  the  time  in  which  he 
lived  is  utterly  uncertain,  some  placing  it  at  500  years  before  Christ, 
others,  6,000  years  before  Plato.  The  religious  system  which  he 
developed  is  a  complete  dualism,  Ormuzd  being  the  creator  and 
ruler  of  all  that  is  bright  and  good,  Ahriman  the  chief  of  that 
which  is  dark  and  evil.  To  each  of  these  Supreme  beings  be- 
longs a  number  of  subordinate  spirits  j  Ameshaspentas  to  Ormuzd, 
Devas  to  Ahriman  5  and  all  that  exists  is  divided  between  these 
two  realms.  Man  has  to  choose,  and  according  to  his  choice,  he 
will,  after  death,  go  to  Ormuzd  or  Ahriman  5  the  way  to  the 
first  is  pure  thought,  pure  speech,  and  pure  actions.  The  only 
object  of  worship  was  fire,  the  symbol  of  that  which  is  bright  and 
good,  and  to  fire  all  temples  and  altars  were  dedicated.  The 
priests  who  maintained  the  fire  and  conducted  the  worship,  were 
the  Magi.  The  developments  which  this  system  underwent 
from  the  time  of  Zoroaster  up  to  our  days  are  as  yet  points  of  con- 
tention. The  monotheism  which  is  now  taught  among  the 
Parsees,  and  according  to  which  Ormuzd  and  Ahriman  are  two 
principles  only,  not  two  causes,  is  by  some  scholars  considered  as 
the  original  idea  of  the  religion  of  Zoroaster,  while  by  others  it, 
is  thought  to  be  a  later  development. — Johnson's  New  Universal 
Cyclopaedia. 


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